


The Reason We Are So Different

by Daerwyn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, POV Third Person, Rape, Slavery, Spy - Freeform, double agent, servitude, teen mother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-17
Updated: 2015-10-28
Packaged: 2017-11-16 14:07:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 50
Words: 275,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/540275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daerwyn/pseuds/Daerwyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was a slave for seventeen years of her life in Malfoy Manor. Freed by the Dark Lord, she has to make choices while retrieving the only thing she has ever cared about. "Love can easily turn to hate," Severus stated simply. She nodded, like she understood, and he continued, but she didn't understand how someone could love another, and then hate them just as easily.</p><p>Scarlett/Cormac</p><p>OC/CM</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of JK Rowling's characters. I just own Scarlett and Tyler.

The pain radiated throughout the young girl's body, making her sides ache and her lungs scream for air. But not a sound escaped her. It was forbidden. Silence answered the order he had spoken, her eyes trained at his polished shoes. It was one thing to cross off her list.

The red head with no name, only known as "filth" or "wench" in the household, was released from her torture, the blonde haired man in front of her waiting for her to speak, to retaliate. She did nothing.

"Go, filth," Master spat at her. The woman rose, shakily, and hurriedly spun from her master, heading through the marble arch, pushing the white wood away from her carefully. She'd go back and clean her fingerprints from it, soon. Such filth like her was not allowed to touch it. A bow was all she left with as she departed, her long, tangled red hair flowing behind her. The home was as memorized as her scars. Every single line corresponded to every hallway or room she had cleaned.

As she spun around a corner, her limbs begging her to relax, to sit down, she ran into someone.

"I'm so sorry," she gasped, backing up quickly, lowering her eyes from the figure ahead of her. "I beg your forgiveness, Young Master."

The boy, perhaps her age, for she didn't know her age, was ruffled, but didn't seem to pay attention to her. In fact, he didn't even seem to acknowledge her. When she stood there, waiting for her punishment, he lifted his head to look at her.

"I ran into you," he stated.

"No, Young Master," the ginger girl insisted. "I wasn't paying attention. I'm terribly sorry-" Her voice was hoarse, from holding back her screams from earlier, and she felt her eyes tear up as she waited. The Young Master's punishment wouldn't be worse than his father's, but it would be close. It always was.

"Get back to whatever you were doing," Young Master said indifferently.

"Draco!" Master's voice drifted through the hall. The boy in question quickly left her, breezing down the hall effortlessly, like a silver prince. "What were you doing?"

She wasn't so far that she could close her eyes and hear silence. No, she would hear him, and his punishment as well.

"I ran into that girl you keep around," Young Master answered. "You seemed to give her enough torture-"

"You should have punished her. She's going to start to behave like the insolent brat she is."

It was a new insult, but the girl didn't so much as flinch. Her memory found the pale and scrub brush she had been assigned to and she began to scrub the ballroom. It was her largest room, always the same Friday, under the setting sun. She admired the way the light reflected against the white marble, sparkling from her hours and hours of work.

By sundown, she had finished, her only magical history drying the floor, though her clothes were soaked near the knees of the skirt and her fingers were pruning from being in the water for so long.

She rose, picking up the dirty watered bucket, and carried it with her to the side door – she was forbidden from using the front door – and trudged on towards the kitchens to begin her next task. There was a ball tomorrow, or so she was told. She was told the same every week, though none occurred besides when there were holidays. It was only July. There weren't holidays. None that she knew of, anyway.

"Where are you going, you insolent wench?" She froze at the voice, bowing her head as she faced her master.

"I was off to polish the silver, Master," she answered quietly. "I have finished the ballroom."

"I believe that can wait." Master was angry. Was it for what she did earlier? The question quickly disappeared as she felt her forearm slice open with a Divindo charm. Her dress was splashed with her own blood and she wondered if it would come out, unlike all the others she owned. "How dare you talk to my son-"

"Forgive me, Master," the red-head begged, dropping to her knees besides the pale. He raised his wand, about to take it to her face, when a voice interrupted her.

"Save the torturing for later, Lucius," a dark voice hissed into the darkness. Master listened, not lowering his wand, but neither attacking. "There are more important matters to attend to than to harm the help." The man appeared them, paper white, with glowing red eyes, just like the snake that slithered on the floor beside him. She spotted many men behind him, as well, in dark robes. Death Eaters, and the Dark Lord. My, she was lucky. Such an entourage. "I'm not doubting that she deserves it but..." He trailed off as he drank in the sight of the bleeding girl, refusing to cry out as a quick charm sliced her cheek open. She clenched her jaw and looked down, away from those men before her.

"My Lord, she needs to learn her place."

"She's strong," the Dark Lord answered the unspoken question as to why he was stopping them from hurting her. He, himself, had just cut her face not even seconds before with a flick of his own wand. "Not even a single peep. Lucius, how long have you had her?"

"Since she was a filthy child, my Lord," Lucius answered. "Dumped here by her two Mudblood parents."

Laughs echoed throughout the dark hallway. The elves haven't lit it yet, but they would in moments.

"She's a pretty one, isn't she?" The Dark Lord's wand made her rise without her permission and her eyes met the red ones. She didn't look away, even after the controlling Imperius curse was dropped. "What is your name, beautiful?"

"I have no name unless my Master permits it," the red head answered quietly. "I am no one, my Lord."

"And don't forget it," Lucius hissed.

"The girl's name, Lucius?" Voldemort snapped. Lucius cleared his throat, swallowing.

"Scarlett, my Lord," Lucius answered finally. The red-head girl's eyes turned to him in surprise. Scarlett? It was rather pretty. Prettier than she expected, at least. Her eyes were bright with the knowledge but clouded with confusion all at the same time. Why couldn't she have had a name? she wondered. But her Master was a servant under this Dark Lord, just as much as she was a servant under her master. Lucius Malfoy did the Dark Lord's bidding and was punished if he did wrong. The only difference was Lucius Malfoy was so much better than she. He was a Pureblood, and she was nothing. She didn't even know what she was.

"Scarlett," the Dark Lord murmured, as if tasting it on his tongue. "Her last, Lucius? She's much too pretty to be a Mudblood."

Scarlett's gaze dropped to the Dark Lord's bare feet. She didn't remember ever seeing him – as she had only seen him from a distance – with shoes on. It was rather peculiar. She didn't own shoes either, but she figured it was for different reasons. Perhaps he didn't like shoes. Scarlett simply didn't own any.

"No surname was given on her papers, my Lord. She's showed no signs of magic. She's a filthy Muggle, my Lord. She is of no value and cannot be used for anything useful. I only keep her around because she is easy on the eyes."

There was an inquisitive throat sound before a papery hand grabbed her chin roughly, jerking her head upwards. The vibrant red of his eyes, especially now that he was closer to her, made her think of the bodies she had been ordered to clean up... the pieces she had been ordered to throw to the elves to dispose of. The blood on the floors that had taken hours upon hours to scrub out.

Her eyes moved away from his after a moment of him watching her and she stared to the marble ground. He tightened his grip and hissed, "Look at me." She obliged, not fighting a single second. "She's very beautiful, Lucius. A touch of Lily Evans, wouldn't you say? I'd look into her parentage. She could be useful."

Useful? She wasn't useful. She was a servant. She was broken, beaten, and withered. Detached from her body, somehow, yet fully there. How she could be of any use to the Dark Lord when all the magic she knew were basic household charms, was beyond her. She didn't dare question his judgement though. She had seen the torture others had gone under for just questioning something he had said. Asking for a repeat. Failing. She shivered to think of her as the person writhing on the floor.

"She's smart as well. Her thoughts tell me that much," the Dark Lord said as he released her chin. She swallowed, not lowering her gaze as he stepped back. "Look into her ancestry, Lucius. There is more to this girl that a simple dumping on the side of the road."

"Of course, my Lord."

There was silence a moment until Lucius barked, "Don't you have some cleaning to do?"

She gasped, grabbing the bucket quickly. "I'm terribly, Master. I'll be going-"

"Quickly and stop wasting our time."

She nodded, "Yes, Master," before she hurriedly walked off. The men in the entourage laughed at her leaving and she felt her cheeks redden with a shame she was used to feeling.

"Come, my faithful followers," the Dark Lord's voice echoed in the halls as she moved to the kitchens, just a flight below. The men kept laughing as she descended the steps so quickly, she almost forgot about the aches, until she reached level ground once more and her legs and arms hurt. "We have much to discuss," was left lingering in the shadows.

A woman was standing at the kitchen doors, wringing her hands together nervously, as though she shouldn't have been there. She wasn't supposed to.

"Does mistress require anything from the kitchens?" Scarlett, as she was now using the name as her own, if what her Master had said was true, asked. The dark haired woman with white streaks, spun around, seeing the bleeding girl standing there, her pale shaking from her strained muscled limbs.

"I was just looking for you," Narcissa Malfoy said kindly. By the far the kindest of the family, she rarely ordered the red-head around, unless Master was near by, and even then, Narcissa wasn't to talk to her. "I thought I heard Lucius torturing you earlier..." Her wand raised and Scarlett glanced to the ground, expecting something else, but instead, there was a soothingly warm sensation on her cheek. "There, it won't scar. I'm afraid if I did your arm, there would be too many questions."

"Thank you, Mistress. That is very kind of you," Scarlett admitted, swallowing. The blood was still smeared across her cheek, but nothing painful. All the pain was on the small gash in her arm that was still steadily streaming her life juice.

"You should get back to work. There is much to do," Narcissa told her gently. "If you need me, my dear, I'll be in the library."

Scarlett nodded to herself, though they both knew the young girl wouldn't seek the Malfoy wife out. "You are most kind, Mistress. Do you require anything?"

"No," the woman said quietly, stepping back. "I'll leave you to your work."

The woman disappeared without another word, though she did give the young girl one last look, before heading up the stairs to the library Scarlett hadn't been in in months. As she pushed the kitchen doors open, elves rushed to her side and took the pale, cleaning it for her. Another elf insisted he treat her wound, but she waved him off.

"Thank you for the offer," Scarlett said quietly, "but I'm fine."

"Miss will get an infection, Miss," the small elf insisted. His wide blue eyes made Scarlett think of her closest friend, Dobby, before she sighed. Dobby had been freed, a fate she wished she would be given, but she had nowhere to go. Neither had he, but the last she heard, he was in Hogwarts, working for money in their kitchens. Perhaps she could... no. Asking her Mistress for such a thing would be a heinous act. Mistress could do nothing against Master. It was simply how the family worked, especially in these times.

She had only been treated like the family once, when there were Aurors searching the house. She had even been given her own bedroom, a bath and fresh soaps, and fancy clothes with ribbons and soft silks she had only ever dreamed about. It had been three summers prior to this one, and she wouldn't forget it. She posed as a Muggle charity case the Malfoy's had taken in off the streets. The Aurors never questioned it, especially when Scarlett had smiled and insisted it was true – she was told she would have been beaten if she had ruined it. Scarlett, wearing the perfect dress, had never felt so clean in her life. Never felt so happy.

A deep burgundy liquid in her small dress, torn and tattered, wet from her work and stained from previous works, was washed by the elf that was working on her wound. He snapped his fingers and wash clothes scrubbed against the fabric, soaking the blood stain thoroughly and hopefully preventing the stain from setting too much.

She winced at the pressure of the elf's light touch, but relaxed carefully into a seat. Her limbs were sore from all the work she had done, and the torture, but there was always more. She would have dropped years ago, she believed, if she would have no help from the elves. No one to tend to her wounds or keep her from going unconscious when the pain was unbearable. No one to sneak her meals every once in a while.

Once her wound was tended, she moved carefully to the silver, grabbing a clean rag, before she began to polish. It wasn't a tedious job, just a weary one. Her silver, well not hers, her Master's silver would never stay clean. She sometimes wondered if Master charmed them to dirty. Then she realized, why would he? He hardly ever came down here in the first place, and he certainly wouldn't go out of his way.

Her mind, as she stared into her slowly clearing reflection, drifted towards her newly acquainted name. Scarlett. She briefly wondered how it was spelled, but quickly threw that thought away. She couldn't read, nor write, so spelling her name was futile. She had been abandoned by whoever had named her at the front gates of the Malfoy Manor, destined to live a life of servitude from the beginning. Perhaps they thought that since the Malfoy's were rich, they would raise their daughter well.

Lucius refused, and Narcissa only just convinced him to let her remain. She had been pretty much ignored, doing small duties she could manage, until she turned ten. On what the elves called her tenth birthday, Scarlett had requested to see the outside world. The elves hesitated, of course, but took her to the edge of the walls early in the morning before anyone was awake.

She had marveled how low they were, yet how high they seemed. She could have easily climbed them, run away from this home and never returned. She hadn't. She hadn't even tried to, until that sunrise. Master and Mistress had gone to bed and she wandered out to the garden, walking with as quick abandon to her legs would carry her. She had found the weakest, lowest point in the wall, and began to climb. Her nicest dress was on her back, her hands were bleeding from her earlier chores, and she was weak from no meals that day, but she made it to the top. And then she dropped to the other side.

She didn't stop there, she had run, as fast as her feet would take her. Her legs physically hurt from moving so much, carrying her so far. And yet she wasn't stopped. She made it through a thicket of trees, the Manor long gone behind her, before she came to a halt to breathe. She felt safe. Her heart no longer felt constricted. She felt alive. As she stared at the quaint town around her, she saw that her world wasn't dark, dreary, cold. It wasn't spiteful or mean. People were laughing, arms linked. Couples, men, women, or children were heading home for the day.

It was peaceful. She made to step onto the sidewalk, making anywhere her destination, when a hand grabbed her shoulder, fingers tightening roughly.

Scarlett had frozen, a whimper leaving her.

"What is this?"

"I was curious," Scarlett had said as an excuse. Her eyes lifted to meet her Master's before they lowered again. "I'm so sorry, sir."

"Filthy waste, if you ask me. Why we keep you blows my mind. You, however, work more diligently than the elves-"

"I'm sorry," Scarlett repeated, tears in her eyes. "I never meant to go far! I just wanted to see! I hear stories of the outside and-"

"Stories from who?" Scarlett had been silent, staring at her master's shoes. "Who?" he demanded, growling.

"Whispers in the hall," Scarlett had whimpered as his fingers tightened. He didn't want to cause a scene so the people around them heard. "I was curious. I'm sorry-"

"Sorry doesn't mean you are forgiven," Lucius had spat. "Come. You'll be punished for this."

A voice brought Scarlett from her memories and she glanced up towards the door to see it being pushed open. An elf rushed forward, to see what was being requested, but the blonde boy barely spared the squeaking thing a glance. He had a dark haired girl, who wasn't the prettiest of sorts, behind him, being pulled.

"Are you sure?"

"No one's down here except for the filthy elves," Young Master insisted to the girl. "They're forbidden from ratting you out." Young Master's eyes darted around the kitchen until they spotted Scarlett. "You, girl!" Scarlett immediately dropped her gaze from them. "I'm talking to you."

"May I be of assistance, Young Master?" Scarlett asked softly, setting the silver down and curtsying towards the pair.

"You say nothing to my father about this, do you hear?"

"Of course, Young Master," Scarlett promised, curtsying once more. She could keep it verbally, but Lucius could enter her mind as quickly as she could recite the three reasons for cleaning. Pride, presitge, and principle.

"She won't tell," Young Master told the girl, lounging on a stool. As he sat, it transfigured into a rather comfortable looking chair. Scarlett's jaw dropped at the display of magic, but she quickly masked it and picked up the silver, returning to her task.

"I never knew your father had a human servant, Draco," the woman remarked.

"Yes, well, Father hides her when we have company. His friends won't be as nice to her as others would," Draco remarked dryly. Scarlett felt her lip being gnawed between her own teeth and felt her cheeks burn. Yes, well, she wasn't always as hidden as she hoped.

"That's wrong," the woman snapped. "Why doesn't she go to Hogwarts?"

"Slave girl!" Young Master barked suddenly. Scarlett dropped the silver platter once more, rushing over to his side and bowing.

"Yes?"

"Do you go to Hogwarts?"

She bit her lip, "I don't understand your question, Young Master."

"The Wizarding School," the girl pressed. Scarlett's eyes flickered towards her. "Hogwarts."

"No, Miss, Young Master, I do not attend this school."

"Do you have magic?" Draco pressed.

Scarlett frowned, before masking it. "I'm able to do some cleaning spells, Young Master. I do not need to know much else."

"What's your name?" the woman asked, her tone curious, and a hint of gentle to it. Scarlett lowered her eyes from them both.

"Master does not permit a name, Miss. I do not go by a name."

"You must have something on your birth certificate," the pugsy looking dark haired woman insisted.

Scarlett bit her lip, "Well... Master says my name was Scarlett, but I do not go by that now, Miss."

"Then what do you go by?" the woman pressed.

"Nothing, Miss. I am just a servant."

Scarlett clenched her hands tightly in front of her as Young Master looked her over. Yes, she was certainly just a slave, she thought. There was nothing special about her.

"Are you Muggleborn?" Young Master asked.

"Master says I am, sir," Scarlett responded. "The Dark Lord says I am not."

There was silence a moment and Scarlett hurriedly moved away from them, catching sight of the clock. "I must return to my chores, if Young Master and Miss wish nothing-"

A flick of the woman's wand made the silver gleam. Scarlett paused, staring at the silver in disbelief. She had never seen it so bright before.

"What else are your chores?"

"I dust the portraits, Miss," Scarlett admitted. "I must be going-"

"Sit," Young Master ordered sharply. Scarlett winced, but obliged. It was better than disobeying, anyway. "How old are you?" he inquired as she sat across from the pair, her chair only a stool, but she didn't mind. She had been on her feet all day. She had been on her feet all year.

Scarlett hesitated. "I don't know, Young Master."

"No idea?" the woman asked.

"I've been here eighteen years, Miss," she admitted.

"Pansy, when do you need to be home?" Draco asked suddenly.

"Fifteen minutes," the woman, Pansy, waved off the blonde. "Your friends, Scarlett. Do you talk to them often? See them?"

Scarlett hesitated, staring at this Pansy in confusion. "I do not have friends, Miss. I do not leave the Manor."

"You've never left?"

"Never met anyone."

"So you have left," Draco pressed.

Scarlett bit her lip. "Master forbade me to spoke about it-"

"Speak now."

Scarlett lowered her eyes, wringing her pruned, worn hands together. "I tried to escape when I was ten. I made it to the village. I wasn't escaping though. I just wanted to see what there was out there. I heard things from Mistress, what she was telling her friends. It sounded amazing. It was amazing. Master caught me at the treeline, in the village. It was the only time I have left, Young Master."

He didn't seem pleased with the answer.

"Why not escape?" Pansy said suddenly. "Run away."

"Master says he will kill me if I try," she responded. "I am happy here, Miss. There is all I need."

"Your clothes are layered in your own blood," Pansy snapped. "You're filthy. You're shaking. You look like you're starving. You don't look happy."

Scarlett shrugged, "One does not need much to be happy."

"You're miserable," Pansy continued. "When was the last time you had a proper meal? Meat, dairy, vegetables-"

"This morning, Miss."

"And what was in it?"

"Turkey, an apple, breads. The usual, Miss." Pansy pursed her lips, not pleased in the slightest. Why they cared worried Scarlett. Was she going to tell Master? Make it seem as though she was complaining? Scarlett hastily spoke before the other woman could speak. "It is more than enough, Miss."

"And you're working hab-"

"Pansy, leave her alone. Don't turn into a Gryffindor on me." Pansy sniffed at Young Master's obvious insult, though what a Gryffindor was, Scarlett didn't know. Sounded dangerous, though. There were footsteps in the hall and an elf rushed to Scarlett's side.

"Master approaches, Missy!" he hissed. Scarlett quickly got to her feet, grabbing her skirts as she sprinted across the room, leaving Draco and Pansy to their own devices. She got on the ground, a rag in her hands, and began to scrub.

Pansy disappeared in the fireplace with a flourish and then Young Master was standing there, the plush chairs gone, and watching the red-haired girl closely. She scrubbed furiously, praying Master would be merciful. He never was.

"Wench," Master spat. "Disrespecting the Dark Lord!"

Scarlett gasped in pain as a swift kick was pressed into her ribs. She felt her eyes water with tears, but did nothing. Said nothing.

"He will make a mockery of this family for weeks!"

"Forgive me, Master," Scarlett murmured. She tucked a dirty piece of red hair behind her ear as she released her tight grip on her rag, and stared at her master's finely polished boots. As hard as the dragon hide from which they were made, it was no surprise if she would have a broken rib.

"Such filth-"

"I'd be careful, father. She's still recovering from my round of torture," Young Master's voice sounded through the kitchen. Lucius stepped back from the girl, looking at his son through narrowed eyes. Scarlett shakily reached for the rag and began to scrub once more. Tears were to be saved for when she was alone, in her room, no one to punish her or to tease her or to laugh. In her room, she was queen. In the palace, she was the maid.

"Is she, now?" She wondered why Young Master was saving her from her father's wrath, but didn't dare question it. She paused in her scrubbing as Lucius tapped his cane to her neck, forcing her to look up. There was no hint of sympathy in his eyes. "What did he do to you?"

"I-" Scarlett swallowed, shaking her head as she lowered her eyes. "He does all that you do, and perhaps more, Master. He wants me to submit to the pain before he leaves me be."

"Pity, I'd make you suffer even more," Lucius murmured.

The red-head lowered her gaze further, knowing he wasn't lying. He would. He had.

"What have you left to do?" Master demanded. "You look as though you haven't done a thing."

"I have to dust the paintings, Master," Scarlett spoke honestly. "I'm terribly sorry for not finishing, I-"

"Being in my way earlier certainly took a lot of time to punish, father," Draco interrupted coolly. Scarlett's breath caught as she stopped speaking. "The girl didn't know what was up or down when I was done."

Lucius' lips twitched in obvious pride, though nothing his boy talked of was prideful. "It's amazing she recovered so quickly."

"Elves," Draco said airily, as an explanation. Lucius didn't seem happy with this but let out a huff of air. He cast a spell that made Scarlett's stomach burn and her lungs clench tightly together. She fell forward, hiding her contorted face into the dirty floor, her back arching and her hands pulling at her hair.

"I sense pain..." The spell fell immediately.

"My Lord, you're in the kitchens!"

"Yes, I sensed pain and I was wondering where my most faithful had gone. You must not have gotten my summons." The Dark Lord's black robes contrasted the white marble flooring and swished with every step he too. "It was the most delicious sensation... Torturing the girl again, Lucius?"

"My son was, my Lord."

The Dark Lord's eyes flickered over everyone, before resting on Draco Malfoy. "Is that true, Draco?"

"Yes, she got in my way earlier."

"Hmm.." There was a moment of silence. "Her parentage, Lucius?"

"Nothing, my Lord."

"I suppose she better be disposed of then."

Scarlett's heart caught in her throat and she dropped her gaze to the floor. Lucius pulled out a wand and was about to use it to end her life, but Draco spoke quickly. "My father hasn't even looked into her past, my Lord. Perhaps she could still be of use."

"Is that true, Lucius?" the Dark Lord hissed, Lucius' wand lowering.

"There is simply no place to start, my Lord. She has no background."

"I can find it, my Lord," Draco spoke quickly. "My father doesn't know where to start. The magical registry in the library ought to find her."

There was a sickening smile that came from the Dark Lord. "You've grown fond of her."

"No, my Lord, but I hate to see a secret weapon we could have go to waste," Draco answered.

"I wouldn't blame you, Draco," the Dark Lord admitted. "She's rather pretty. I admit to wandering down here in hopes to find her, myself. You have that effect, my dear." My dear? Was he talking to her? "Yes, I am," the Dark Lord spoke as though she could hear her thoughts. "Now, Draco, I expect results in the morning. Take her with you. Perhaps she knows something..." As Scarlett stood quickly, an elf snatching the rag from beside her feet, the Dark Lord's lip curled. "You should take better care of your pets, Lucius."

"No need, my Lord. She will have nothing in her history."

"You seem to truly believe that, Lucius," the Dark Lord remarked. "Now, Draco."

"Yes, my Lord." Young Master bowed before beckoning the red-haired girl to follow. She did so, bowing slightly to the two men older than her, and rushed away.

She didn't know what to say as they walked in silence. Finally, as they reached the library, she whispered, "Thank you."

He paused, glancing at her. "Yes, well, we have work to do. Come." He pushed the doors open to the magnificent library beyond. Books lined the walls, shelves, and tables littered everywhere. She hadn't been in here in months, but already it looked nothing like she remembered. Dust was absent, the elves working hard through the night to get every spec. Light flooded in from the windows along the back wall, over looking the garden, from the setting sun. That was where Draco took her.

As Scarlett was asked to sit by the window, she stared out into the garden. Flowers of every color she had ever seen in the paintings around the manor were in the petals, layered in the green shrubbery. She would have loved fresh air.

A large book being slammed onto the ground caused her to jump, glancing up to see Draco staring at her. He didn't apologize for making her jump, but instead opened the book and sat across from her.

"Because the Dark Lord finds potential in you, we have to find it. If not, he will kill you without a second glance."

Scarlett nodded, understanding. As he read through the pages, she could do nothing but watch. She wanted to ask him why he had lied to his father at her expense, but it wasn't in her place. She had no right to ask questions of him. When Master died, he would take Lucius's place, and then his children and their children.

"There's something about you, Scarlett," Draco said smoothly. "You may be a Mudblood, you may not be. Though to be as happy with your life as you are, something's going on with you. Maybe you don't realize it. Pansy's a Half-blood, and she's not the prettiest of girls in the world. You're quite pretty. Hell, even a Mudblood could be pretty, I suppose. Look at Brown."

"Brown?" Scarlett asked, confused. "How is a color pretty?"

He glanced at her, frowning. "Lavender Brown."

She grimaced, "That doesn't sound very pretty. I didn't know a purple could be brown."

His lips twitched in obvious amusement. "Lavender Brown is a girl. That's her name."

"Oh," she muttered. Her cheeks flamed in embarrassment and she glanced at her folded hands in her lap. She wasn't very good at talking to others. She had never had much of a conversation before. Just that with Narcissa in the hallways, the elves for chores-

"You're funny."

"I don't mean to be."

"Exactly."

He flipped a page before spinning the book around to show her. "Found you." She leaned forward in her seat, spotting the delicately written letters. They meant nothing to her. "What has my mother told you about yourself?

"I was abandoned here," Scarlett answered quietly. "That's all she knows. Young Master cannot tell Master. Mistress is forbidden to speak to me."

He pursed his lips, "Don't you see what's on this page?"

"I can't read," she answered simply, glancing at the book again. "I don't know what it says."

"Scarlett Lillian Prince," he read aloud, turning the book towards him once more. "Date of birth, August 13, 1979. Parents are unlisted, though you come from the Prince family."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No," he answered. "You're turning eighteen this August. And the Prince family... They're very well known Purebloods. If you are related to them, then you are not a Mudblood."

"And that's good," Scarlett murmured.

"Very good."

She swallowed. "What would happen if I was related to them?"

"They don't have any children that are my father's age," Draco spoke. "Or older, to have produced a child our age. The last Prince was a female by the name of Eileen, and she left the Wizarding World when she married a Muggle. You couldn't possibly be from that side, then." He flipped through pages upon pages in the thick, old book. "No one my father's age that I see, anyway, nor any Prince males that survived to adulthood other than what we know already. The registry, however, knew what you looked like. Auburn hair, black eyes."

She bit her lip, staring at him a moment. "What happens to me, though?"

"You live," he admitted. "We find family of yours."

"And if there is no family?"

"Something will be worked out."

She swallowed, frowning. "I don't know anyone in this world... I know the elves, your family... That's all, really..." She glanced away, out the windows. "Others, I suppose, if you can call it knowing them." Her mind flashed to the painful memories she had kept far away. They surfaced, and she hastily moved on. "I'm still a servant, anyway-"

"If you are related to these Prince family ancestors," Draco said slowly. "You'd no longer be a servant."

She was silent, processing this. "Why not?"

"The Dark Lord believes all those that should be forced into labor are beneath us. If you're related to them, why, you're just as good as me."

She found it hard to believe. "Why aren't my parents listed?"

"They weren't identified by the Ministry. Charms must have been placed around you when you were a baby," Young Master clarified. "Which, even if it were removed today, would make them still untraceable."

Scarlett nodded carefully, "So, you can't track my parentage then, Young Master?"

"Draco," he corrected. "And not right now... We have found it, just not the specific link you have. Leave, go to your room. I have much to discuss with the Dark Lord about the things we've found."

He had found them, not her. She, however, obeyed, but instead of going to her bedroom, went back tot he kitchen to pick up a few things to help finish her chores.

She didn't finish them until three in the morning, the house completely asleep, except for that snake that the Dark Lord kept. The creature never did sleep for long, or rather, never was too far away.

Scarlett's room was the same temperature as it had been all summer. The unbearably cold weather gave her goosebumps as soon as she entered. The single cot, lumpy from its extensive years of use, sat in the corner, opposite of the barred window with cracked glass. A chair sat beside the window, three dirty gowns, and the one she was wearing joining them, resting on the seat. She donned her night dress, much too small for her, and huddled on her cot, the frayed blanket no longer covering her body. She wasn't seven years old. She hadn't been for a while. She supposed it was better than nothing, as it kept the harsh, cold breeze from the broken window from freezing her to the bone.

Thinking of what Young Master had told her, she slid into a restful sleep, the best she had received in nearly a year.


	2. Chapter 2

She awoke to the apparation of someone leaving her room. She sat up in her bed, staring at the chair across from her. A silver tray was there, carrying her traditional meal. A slice of turkey, cold as the air that was blowing through the window, sat besides the piece of bread, dry and tough. Her stomach had grown used to it, and the near too ripe apple. The pewter plate was holding it all off the silver, soaking its poisonous metal into the food. She knew she would be sick, perhaps even die, the more she ate from the plate, but she was too hungry to care.

She took her glass of water first, sipping from it slowly in order to quell her growling stomach. Her fingers clasped around the apple, before she decided to eat the turkey for breakfast. It would go bad if she waited.

Once her meal was finished, she reached for the letter always placed under the plate. Master charmed them to speak to her, but as she opened it, nothing spoke. It always wasn't in Master's handwriting, but that of someone else. She frowned, placing it to the side, before dressing in her daily outfit, a light green dress that complimented her red hair.

She placed the apple and piece of bread into the pocket before taking the tray and letter with her to the kitchens. The elves happily began to clean it and then she nervously began her trek through the Manor to find Master. He would be sleeping, perhaps, but he was usually an early riser.

Her bare feet took her to the Master's study, where she knocked lightly.

"Enter."

She did so, bowing. "Forgive me for intruding, Master," she said immediately, her eyes not once meeting his.

"What do you want?"

"My letter for the morning, Master. I do not know what it says."

There was a pause. "I did not give you a letter this morning."

She glanced up, meeting his stiff gray eyes. No one else was in the room with him, just the blazes of a fire beginning to burn echoing in the silent room. She held out her hand, swallowing. "I was given this, this morning, Master. I assumed it was yours-"

He narrowed his eyes, "Bring it here."

She crossed the room quietly, presenting the letter to him. Lucius' eyes flickered over it, reading it, before he passed it back to her.

"You are to greet the Death Eaters at the door and take their cloaks. Hang them nicely. The Dark Lord doesn't wish to be disappointed. He says to dress in your best." She swallowed, nodding, but Lucius was not done. "You will be there all day. Have the elves finish your chores for the day."

"Yes, Master. Thank you, Master," Scarlett bowed lightly before she hastily scurried from the room.

She shut the door behind her and then sprinted down the stairs, to the dungeons where her bedroom was. She changed into a white long sleeved dress with an emerald apron. It was the best she could do. The white dress had a stain from cooking that was covered by her apron, and she usually wore it in the winter at nights because she would freeze otherwise. She made her way to the foyer, which was where guests usually were arriving, and stood dutifully by the large door when a voice interrupted her.

"I said your best."

She straightened, curtsying as her eyes dropped to the ground. "My Lord, this is my best."

The Dark Lord wasn't pleased in the slightest. "Take me to where you keep your things. Show me what you have."

"I can bring them to you, my Lord," she spoke quietly, wincing as he stiffened in surprise. "Someone such as yourself should not walk down-"

"I wish to see," he requested. "Do not make me ask again."

"Yes, my Lord," she murmured. He gripped her arm, shoving her in front of him roughly, and forced her to lead him to her room. It wasn't a long walk, more as a silent one. When he let go of her arm, it was when she stopped walking. The door wasn't anything much, showing just how much was inside. She pushed it open and stepped through. "I have all inside, my Lord."

He stepped through as well, his lip curling as he took hold of one of her gowns. It was one of her worst states, dried blood from her tortures staining the hemlines and bleach stains from washing all over the front. He gazed at her, "You live like a slave."

"I am a slave, my Lord."

"Were you sold to the Malfoys?"

"They were kind enough to take me in, my Lord."

"Then you are not a slave," he stated. "You are of pureblood descent."

She bit her lip, lowering her eyes. "Possibly, my Lord."

"Why not demand more?"

"I have nothing to demand, my Lord," she answered. "I know nothing else but this life... I have been sworn to serve the Malfoys for my entire life-"

He gave her an amused smile, his small, round teeth grinning at her like a fool. "How thoughtful of you." He dropped the gown, his wand waving over the chair before the spell flicked at her. She flinched, expecting some punishment. None came. Her eyes opened and stared into the red eyes of the Dark Lord in confusion. He was looking her over. "Much better."

She gasped as she looked down, a dark emerald gown now on her, mid-calf and as new as one Narcissa would have just bought. It was beautiful, something she had never seen on herself before. It was, perhaps, better than the gown she had worn years ago. "My Lord, this is very... Thank you."

"I expect you in the foyer in fifteen minutes," he stated sharply. He moved from the room, walking briskly. "You are not to leave it until I deem it fit. Do as I say, and I will see to it that you are rewarded."

Scarlett nodded immediately, her eyes impossibly wide in disbelief. "Yes, my Lord. I understand."

He disappeared and Scarlett quickly went down the hall, heading back to the foyer. She hadn't been standing there for five minutes before she was on duty. A man strode through, throwing a cloak to Scarlett without a second glance. When she hung it up, though, he had stopped and glanced at her.

"Who are you?"

"Scarlett, sir," she answered, bowing. "I am a servant here."

He pursed his lips, but left just as quickly. She found herself repeating the same few lines over and over again as more men, and sometimes women, strode through.

"Be careful with that, lass. It's fine silk," a rather large looking man snapped at her.

"Of course, sir," Scarlett nodded and scurried off to hang it a hook away from the one before it. Many thought she was a Weasley, tortured her for it with a few spells Master used, before leaving here there, unsatisfied when she didn't break. She wasn't some Weasley, and it didn't sound much better than what Young Master had called a Gryffindor. Others, those that didn't think she was a Weasley, thought she was a new recruit. Almost all were surprised when she said she wasn't anyone else but a servant.

Master had said they were very common, but apparently not. After fifteen minutes of no new arrivals, she was resting on the ground, her legs tucked underneath her and her fingers picking at the bread as she put it in her mouth. She was hungry and it was nearly lunchtime. No one seemed to be arriving, as it had been silent in the foyer for almost a full hour. She hadn't heard from the Dark Lord, so she waited, and expected something soon.

It didn't come in the form she expected. It was a cool summer morning, she could feel the breeze from underneath the door where the crack was. She couldn't see outside, but the elves had told her there were white peacocks out there that would strut the walkway. She had never seen them.

The door was pushed open suddenly and Scarlett scrambled to her feet. "May I take your cloak, sir?"

The figure paused, turning slowly to face the red head. His greasy-looking black hair hung to his shoulders, limply, and his black eyes were lifeless and dull. He looked down his long nose as he watched her. Scarlett stepped forward, uncertainly. Did he want his cloak? The sunlight hit her face from the open door and she winced at the harsh assault on her eyes.

The figure's eyes never drew away from her. As he shrugged his cloak off, he silently passed it to her, his pale white skin the same color as the white walls of the manor, contrasting against the black cloak. He didn't toss it at her, like she had expected. His eyes scrutinized her as she grasped it gently and stepped back.

"What are you doing here?" His voice drawled and was very deep. She lowered her eyes, as he was speaking to her like they were close to one another.

"I serve the Malfoys, sir," Scarlett answered. She stepped back and turned to hang up the cloak. She hooked it, and turned around to see him still standing there.

"You do not..." He stopped speaking, so Scarlett continued.

"Master has allowed me to be ordered by the Dark Lord," she said quietly, returning to his side. "I am to collect the cloaks of those that arrive."

His eyes flickered over her in a studious way, not unpleasantly like some of the men before him. And then he was gone. It was hours and hours of waiting; Scarlett heard the clock signal dinner. She only ate her apple, her stomach still not satisfied, but she paid it no mind. It was eleven in the evening, her eyes hurting from forcing themselves away, when they began to trickle out.

Her memory was one of the best she could have had. She remembered the faces and the cloak, where she placed them, and gave all the owners the correct ones. They seemed pleasantly surprised by this and she bit her lip as they disappeared.

"Wench! Why are you not cleaning the hallway?" Master's voice shouted once almost all the cloaks were gone. All that remained was the last man's cloak. Scarlett lowered her gaze and bit her lip.

"The Dark Lord says I was to stay here until he said otherwise," Scarlett explained quickly. "I'm sorry, Master. I was told not to -"

"I am your Master, not the Dark Lord," Lucius hissed. Scarlett stepped back as he advanced on her. "Go clean the halls-"

"I can't, my Lord," Scarlett whispered. She winced as he tightened his grip on his cane. "The Dark Lord is the Master of Master, therefore, the Dark Lord is my master, as well." He didn't seem pleased with her observation.

"Did you steal this dress from my wife?"

"No, Master," Scarlett gasped, offended by such an accusation, but he didn't give her a chance to explain. The cane cracked across her cheek and she stumbled away from him in pain. Her hand shakily rose, clutching the mark left on her cheek. A hand grabbed the skirt of the gown and was ready to tear it from her body when a new body entered the scene.

"She's not a servant anymore, Lucius, and I gave her the dress," the Dark Lord spoke. "Isn't that how one frees a slave? Gift them with clothing. It is truly remarkable she obeyed at all, and didn't realize this." Scarlett was silent, not moving from her position a few feet from her Master, her hand still clutching her stinging cheek.

"Under my knowledge, My Lord-"

"She is of a pureblood family, Lucius, she does not have any rights to be a servant," the Dark Lord intoned, leaving no room for argument. "Therefore, I will be making sure that this girl has the correct standards for a Pureblood. She will head to Hogwarts this year, Lucius. Severus, here, will teach her in all that she does not know." Scarlett looked up towards the Dark Lord, surprise in her eyes, and the pain from the smack numbing slightly. She was … free? She didn't know how she felt. She didn't have any place to go. No home, no money, no family. None that she knew of, anyway.

"My Lord, she knows too much! She could be a valuable weapon against-" Lucius began to argue.

"She knows nothing, Lucius," the Dark Lord hissed. "Severus, I trust the lessons to start tonight, if you will." The Dark Lord stepped towards Scarlett, pulling her arm from her hand. "Follow Severus. He will be teaching you what you need to know."

She didn't know what to say. Her mind whirled with all the thanks she owed this man, as well as all the fears she had about her unsteady future. What would she be doing? She couldn't simply-

"Come, girl, we have much to catch you up on." This Severus, the man whose cloak still hung feet away from them all, was teaching her what exactly?

"My Lord," Scarlett murmured, meeting his eyes hesitantly.

He saw her confusion and smirked, "My dear, go. You may thank me later."

"Thank you, my Lord," she murmured before shuffling after the dark haired man that was walking from the room. They were heading to the library, she took note of, watching his footsteps. She hadn't met his eyes since she had left the foyer. She could hear Master being tortured, however. His screams echoing throughout the manor. Why? Because of her? No, she wouldn't be the cause of such a thing. She was unimportant.

"What spells do you know, girl?" Severus asked of her, pushing the library doors open.

"Basic household charms, sir," she answered nervously. Was she supposed to know more? Did she not know what she was supposed to? She didn't want to make him angry-

"There is only a month until the first semester begins," he drawled, leading her to the table her and Young Master had sat at just the night before. He gestured for her to sit before continuing. "I will assign you reading material to cover and you will read the sections, practice them, and then I will test you on them each day. I expect two spell books a week to be finished."

Scarlett opened her mouth to speak, but he cut in, "I will test you on what you have learned tomorrow. Start with..." He waved his wand and three quite large books were dropped in front of her. "These." He turned from her in a flourish, before she had a chance to speak, and she was left in the library, staring after him.

"But I can't read..." she murmured, gazing at the books before her in confusion. She didn't want to disappoint him, nor did she want to seem like she needed to be spoon fed. Perhaps she could learn by the time the night drew to a close.


	3. Chapter 3

Scarlett sighed as she flipped open the front cover of the first page, staring at the passage and ink splotches. She knew the alphabet, Narcissa had taught her that much, but she had forgotten it as she became more engrossed in her duties. She could only barely make out simple words such as "I" "You" and "log" but the words attached to log made no sense to her.

"We-well-wellco-welcome." Sparrow frowned, her finger tracing the line in the book as she struggled to read. She sounded out the letters individually and hoped, for any reason, she could piece it with her spoken knowledge. She was having more difficulty than she expected. "To. Lee-lev-levee-leve-"

"What are you doing?" a voice drawled.

Sparrow jumped and hit her knee on the bottom of the table. As she winced in pain, she glanced up to see Severus standing before her, his arms crossed and his cloak hanging from his shoulders once more. He was watching her with a neutral expression, and she hastily shut the book, shoving it away from her. As it fell back into the pile he presented it, she folded her hands in her lap and lowered her head. "R-reading the books, sir... That is what you instructed, sir, was it not?"

He pursed his lips as she glanced up apprehensively. He gripped the back of the chair across from her and looked her over, once more. "Yes, it was. However, why are you reading like that?"

"I..." she faltered, feeling her cheeks burn as she glanced down once more. "I don't know how to read, Sir. Mistress..." She trailed off, frowning. "I mean, Mrs. Malfoy... er-Mistress taught me the alphabet when I was young, a few words, sir, but-"

"You were never taught to properly read?" he interrupted.

Sparrow shook her head, frowning slightly, "No, sir."

"Very well. Grab them and follow," he instructed. He shook his head as he turned around and she quickly stood, grabbing the three tomes, before following. His steps were quick as he walked down the hall. "Lucius has regretfully informed me that you will no longer be staying here, seeing as you are no longer his servant. You, therefore, have to leave immediately."

Sparrow nodded, "I understand, sir."

"You will be coming with me and I will bring you to your new home."

"My new home?" Sparrow asked, confused. Was this another place to serve?

"Yes, your new home," he spoke sharply. "Are you daft?"

She lowered her eyes from his, her curiosity disappearing in an instant. "No, sir. I should hope not."

"The Dark Lord has suggested it be... wise for you to be introduced into a wizarding family with more... shall I say, support for wizarding life," This man continued. "You will be meeting a family that will care for you as the Dark Lord deems it necessary."

"Who are they, sir?"

"The Dark Lord's enemy, but you are key to him." He gave the girl a look over his shoulder. "We will go to your room and pack your things. Quickly now."

Scarlett led him to her room, opening her door to the stone walled room, and shivered almost immediately. The gown she was wearing showed more skin than she was used to. The cool air also made her cheek sting and she wondered if Master had broken skin. She found she didn't care. As she approached the chair, she saw her rugged clothing had been replaced with a blue and a yellow dress much like the one she was wearing now. The Dark Lord must have been behind it, for her master would have given her nothing like this. She picked them up before approaching her bed and taking hold of the small blanket. Narcissa had told her that she had been dropped off with it, and she could only assume it belonged to her parents. The embroider that had been there when she was a child had fallen away from years she had it.

It was a dirty white, now, but Mistress had told her it had been pure white and pink embroidery, as though someone had taken great care in making it for her. It was almost hard in her hands, but she folded it carefully and then cleared her throat to get this man's attention.

"That's everything, sir."

His eyes did a single more once over of the room before he held out his hand. "Grab on, please."

He had said please, and she had no reason not to trust him. She gently took hold and he shifted slightly, taking the books from her hand to give her more room for her first time apparating. "Close your eyes. Take a deep breath."

She did as instructed, as she had never done as wasn't instructed of her, and felt a sharp tug at her naval. Her eyes flew open in surprise just as they were swirling through the air. She gasped as she was deposited on the ground, in a puddle of water. Her clothing was wet, as was the bundle in her arms, and she sat there a moment, catching her breath and feeling the crushing sensation leave her. She glanced up to meet the eyes of Severus, and he grimaced.

"Come, we've arrived just as the meeting is ending."

She stood, running her hand along the skirt to get rid of the water it had absorbed. It was colder here, and she felt gooseflesh appear on her skin. She shivered and crossed her arms tightly around herself.

And then she was suddenly dry, as was her bundle. She stiffened in surprise, seeing Severus standing there with a grimace, staring down at her. "Better?"

"Thank you," she whispered.

He led her through the thick grass, something she had never seen before. It was a plant she hadn't been told of, or touched in the kitchen. She was about to ask when she realized she was beyond the walls of the manor. She took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling her heart constrict in glee. She was free from the Malfoys... Free from all of it.

But as she came through the thick grass, she was stopped at an iron gate, and a rock road lay before her. She could see metal contraptions sitting atop them, and in the distance, she heard the sound of sirens.

"Look at this paper," Severus stated, giving her a piece of parchment from his robes. She took it, sensing his urgency. "Memorize what it says, do not try to speak it aloud. And picture it in your head."

"But if I cannot re-" she began to protest.

"Just memorize the look," he cut me off.

Scarlett nodded and gazed at the paper. It was weird scrawl N-U-M-B-E-R 1-2 G-R-I-M-M-A-U-L-D P-L-A-C-E. H-O-M-E T-O T-H-E O-R-D-E-R O-F T-H-E P-H-O-E-N-I-X.

"Okay, then?" Scarlett asked, looking up towards him. He was a good foot taller.

He took the paper from her hands and shoved it into his pocket. "Now, look at the building."

Sparrow shivered as the wind whipped yet again and did as he asked. Nothing happened for a moment, and as she thought of the paper and how it could possibly have any significance to this. And then the building began to... move. A whole new building formed from between the two existing ones and not a single occupant seemed to notice. Scarlett spun around, to see if this was a trick, but it wasn't. As she faced the building once more, she noticed Severus gesturing for her to follow him.

The front door of Number 12 opened and he led her inside, showing her to the hall. She shut it tightly behind her and followed him towards the base of the stairs. "Be very quiet. We do not want to wake the painting."

The... painting?

Scarlett was led up the stairs and she was sure she made no sound as a few creaks from the stairs echod from under their combined weight. Soon, they were another floor up and he began to move with more noise, heading for a door. As it was thrust open, a plump red-headed woman was there, giving Severus a pleasant smile.

"Severus, so glad you could join us! Come, you've almost missed the closing-" she stopped abruptly as her eyes came to Scarlett. She surged forward, seizing the girls jaw in her hand. Scarlett stiffened, lowering her eyes in fear. Was this woman going to hit her? "Who did this to your face, my dear?"

"Lucius Malfoy," Severus drawled. "She'll be staying here until school begins. The Dark Lord insists she'll be raised amongst this lot to get some magic into her and to, hopefully, make her normal for interaction."

"She looks just fine to me," the woman smiled brightly as Scarlett. "Come, let's go down to the kitchens. We'll heal that right up and give you some food. You look all skin and bones!" The woman moved towards the stairs.

"Molly," Severus said, stopping the woman. This Molly froze, glancing at the man that had escorted Scarlett here. "She should be settled first, and then we can worry about the rest."

"Yes, I suppose you're right...," Molly agreed. "What is your name, dear?"

"Scarlett, Mistress," Scarlett answered quietly, her gaze dropping to the woman's feet.

"Oh, call me Molly. None of that formal nonsense," Molly insisted.

Scarlett swallowed, "Yes, Molly."

"I'll take her to her room," Severus stated shortly. He began to climb the steps and Scarlett hastily followed. "You aren't a servant anymore. You have no Master or Mistress," Severus drawled once they were out of the plump woman's earshot. "You don't serve anyone."

"I'm sorry... This is all a dream, really," Scarlett said quietly.

"What is your last name, Miss Scarlett?"

"Prince, sir. That is what Young Master said, anyway," Scarlett answered. "They do not know which Prince, though. There were no records of my parents."

He had frozen and she was worried she had upset him. "I-I didn't mean to upset you with the news... if I did. I-"

"I will send a girl up here to give you some comfortable clothing and take you down to Molly to get some food," he interrupted, ignoring her apology. "I must return to the Dark Lord." He pushed open a door and she was brought to a rather cozy warm room, three beds placed along the three other walls, all taking up their own space. "I must tell him you have arrived safely."

"Thank you, sir," Scarlett said quietly. He disappeared in a flick of his robes and she was left alone.


	4. Chapter 4

Scarlett glanced around the quaint room, looking at the three beds, both extremely soft looking and warm. There was no draft, either, from the window. She walked quietly and hesitantly towards the bed closest to her and her fingers touched the edge of the blanket. The softest fabric she had ever felt. The pillow had a stuffed owl on it, and she quickly deduced that it was someone's bed. She would have to sleep on the floor, she figured, if the other beds were taken. If this was even her room...

"You must be the new girl!" a chirpy voice said from the door. Scarlett spun around in surprise, stumbling back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" she began to explain, but the bushy haired brunette in the door waved it off.

"It's okay!" she smiled. She seemed kind enough. She had books in her arms, as well. As she stepped forward, she threw the book onto the bed Scarlett had just touched and then stepped towards Scarlett. Was this girl a friend of Molly's? The daughter of the true owner? Scarlett didn't know. "So, you're the girl Professor Snape brought in?"

"I just got here," Scarlett admitted.

"Okay, well, we have some clothes for you! I really love your hair-" She took a piece of Scarlett's hair in her hand and Scarlett froze, unsure of what to do. As she looked down at the brunette's hand, she saw silky red hair in its fingers. Her hair was... brushed? It was always so matted she didn't even know it could be brushed. She glanced at her hands for the first time in forever and saw that, despite the callouses from her years of work, the dirt was gone.

"Thank you," Scarlett said uncertainly.

The girl pounced away, grabbing a few items from a wooden trunk at the foot of her bed. "You look a little smaller than me. Here you go."She passed a few clothing items towards Scarlett, nodding. "You can change in here. I can go to the hall for a few minutes." She left the room, leaving Scarlett behind, but kept talking. "So, were you at a ball or something?"

Scarlett began to slip her dress off, biting her lip as she set her other things down in her arms. "No, I... The Dark Lord instructed me to take cloaks of Master's friends."

"Master?"

Scarlett frowned, biting her lip once more as she tried to figure out how the pants worked. She slid them on, after stepping into them, and pulled them up to her waist. They were a little too big, but she buttoned them up and then reached for the t-shirt. It was a strange fashion, one she had never seen before, but she put it on like a dress none-the-less, and it fit better than the pants. "Lucius Malfoy, Miss. He's my... he was my Master."

"You worked at Malfoy Manor?"

"I was their servant, Miss," Scarlett returned through the door as she gathered her clothing and folded them carefully. She approached the bedroom door and pulled it open, the girl she didn't know walking back in. Scarlett got a look in the mirror and saw what she looked like. Clean was the first thing that struck her. Her hair was long, very long, and smooth from the unknown brushing. It was free, hanging in her face as she ducked her head slightly.

Her arms were bones, bruises and scars layering her skin. She looked terrible. "Good they fit."

She gave Scarlett a leather object and she stared at it in confusion. "What does this do?"

"It keeps the pants up. We'll go shopping tomorrow to get you some clothing that fits," the girl said.

Scarlett nodded slowly. "I haven't any money."

"Professor Snape said it was taken care of," the girl continued brightly. "Here..." She approached the girl, taking the belt, and then started to thread it through the pant loops. Scarlett watched, stiff, and trying to remember how to do it in case she must in the future.

"You're really skinny. We should get some food. Have you eaten yet?"

"I've had an apple for dinner," Scarlett admitted. "I'm not that hungry-"

"Nonsense!" the girl took Scarlett's hand. "Let's go."

"I don't know your name... My name's Scarlett," Scarlett said boldly, worried as the girl gave a shocked expression as she looked back.

"Oh, how rude of me! I haven't introduced myself!" She released Scarlett's hand and gave an apologetic smile. "Hermione Granger. You can call me Hermione. Everyone does."

"Hermione," Scarlett repeated, hoping she was getting the pronunciation right.

"Do you have a last name?" Hermione asked suddenly.

Scarlett shrugged, "Young-" She winced, "Draco," she corrected. "He said it was Prince."

"Interesting," Hermione smiled. "Come on. Molly's waiting."

The kitchen was just as warm and inviting as the two people I had met in this home so far. The lights were bright and the red-haired woman, Molly, was bustling about, getting a few things cooked on the stove. No elves were in sight.

"You don't have elves?" Scarlett asked, as the woman waved her wand at the sink as it began to wash dishes.

"No, dear," Molly said kindly. "We do everything ourselves."

"That's very strange," Scarlett admitted.

"I believe elves should be free," Hermione continued. "Dobby, a friend of Harry's, is a free elf. He's quite happy with it."

"A Malfoy elf?" Scarlett asked uncertainly. "I remember him... He'd always get me in trouble."

Hermione frowned, "Are you sure it's the same elf? He has big blue eyes and he wears a pillow case-"

"All elves wear pillow cases at Malfoy Manor," Scarlett admitted before lowering her eyes at interrupting Hermione. After a pause of nothing happening, she quickly continued. "But I remember Dobby. Always asked to be freed..." Scarlett bit her lip, thinking to all the times he had disobeyed some order and she had been blamed for it. He hadn't said it was her, but he didn't admit to it, either. "He's... He's a very troublesome elf."

"Like what did he do?" Molly asked as she placed a glass plate before Scarlett. The food was steaming hot "fruits, vegetables, and meat galore. She bit her lip, watching it a moment. She couldn't eat this. She took a hesitant fork of some mashed thing before answering Molly.

"He'd... he'd drop a bucket of water in the halls, spilling it. It would have been my chore for that day to clean that hall... Master would slip, or a guest, and he'd find me somewhere about the manor... Dobby never cleaned it up, he never stopped it..." Scarlett glanced at the meal, forking another bit of the white stuff. "There's no way I can possibly eat all this..."

"Try your best."

"How bad were punishments? For what Dobby caused?"

Scarlett glanced up at the question. "Oh... nothing too bad." She didn't trust these people at all yet. Why would she tell them about her punishments?

They didn't pressed. Scarlett finished most of it before she couldn't eat any more.

"Are you going to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked her.

"Severus gave me a few books to read," Scarlett said quietly. "If I don't finish them by the time term starts, I'm unsure. I've never learned magic before..."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen," Scarlett admitted. "According to my record, I'll have just turned eighteen in a few weeks."

"Oh! Well, Happy early Birthday!" Molly smiled.

"I'd be more than happy to teach you," Hermione offered. "I'm top of my class," she continued. "I can teach you everything you need to know!"

"Um, I don't want you to feel-"

"Nonsense!" Hermione insisted. "Let's get started now-"

"Hermione, dear, maybe she should sleep first?" Molly suggested. "It is quite late."

"Oh... Yes, we can get started in the morning," Hermione grinned. "I'll take you to your room."

As the red-haired girl rose, her plate uncertainly in her hands, Molly took it from her, giving her a small shake of the head. "I'll be heading into town tomorrow, to get some clothes for you. If you'd like to come with, after Severus stops by...?"

Scarlett nodded, carefully. "I'd really love that-"

"Wonderful!" Molly cried, interrupting Scarlett. She wondered if she'd ever get to finish a sentence. "Off to bed."

Scarlett thanked the woman for her meal and then they climbed up the stairs, back to the room before. Only this time, there was a body sleeping in one of the beds, her red hair much like Scarlett's own. Hermione gestured towards another bed. "This is yours." Scarlett immediately touched the blanket, amazed at how thick it was. Hermione passed the girl the folded clothes from earlier that were on the floor and Scarlett placed them at the foot of her bed.

"This is amazing," Scarlett admitted.

"Surely you've been given your own room before."

"I've never had a bed like this," she admitted, glancing at Hermione as the girl slid into her own bed, where the owl was. "It's very soft."

"What was your room like?"

"It was in the dungeons," Scarlett said quietly, so she wouldn't disturb the other girl in the room. "Very cold. I had a blanket." She gestured towards the folded fabric at the foot of her new bed. "Do you usually have chores here? In the morning?"

"No, we just head down to breakfast in the morning," Hermione admitted. She relaxed into her own bed as Scarlett got into hers. The mattress wasn't lumpy, but very soft. "We get up whenever we want. I'd like to start your lesson in the morning, after breakfast, if that's alright?"

"I'd like that very much, Hermione."

Scarlett relaxed into the mattress, turning on her side and wondering if when she went to sleep, the dream would end, and she'd wake up in the dungeons once more.

Hermione passed the book to Scarlett. "Read the first section and we'll go from there."

"I-" Scarlett frowned. "I can't read."

"You can't read?" Hermione gasped. "Oh, dear! Well, we're just going to have to fix that."

Hermione seated herself beside Scarlett, showing the red-head the pages of the book. Breakfast had passed with her being introduced to more people than she could keep track of. A red-head, the girl that shared their room, Ginny, had called Scarlett her twin, and then insisted they were going to be best friends. Scarlett hadn't known how to respond. There was a boy, her brother, with red hair as well, and his name was Ron or something.

As the brunette spoke the words, Scarlett memorized them, thanking her quick memory profusely, because she started to recognize a pattern in the words and memorized their sounds. It wasn't that hard, really. She didn't know why she couldn't know it before hand.

"So, you remember the spells?" Hermione asked as Severus was announced as arriving.

"Of course," Scarlett nodded.

"Good. And when you're done, we'll go to Diagon Alley and get your things, and then we'll get back on the books."

"Thank you," Scarlett said quietly. "This is very kind of you."

"It's review for me as well," Hermione admitted. "You're helping me, too."

Scarlett wasn't sure how, but nodded, and left the room quickly, to meet the man that was to test her every day in the library.


	5. Chapter 5

"What have you learned?" Severus drawled, in the same black cloaks as when she had last seen him. His eyes were black as night as they narrowed on her, making her swallow in her seat, her hands tightening on her lap. He was terrifying, really. He drew out his words like she was stupid. She hoped she wasn't. She was trying her best.

"I... I learned Expelliarmus," Scarlett admitted. "And a few others, too, in the first few chapters of the first book. That's only as far as Hermione and I got. I'm sorry-"

"What else did you learn?"

"I... I know that Divindo slices an object or skin," Scarlett answered hesitantly, her fingers digging in the pants Hermione had given her the night before.

"That's a fifth year charm. It wasn't in your reading," Severus said carefully.

"I said I knew, not that I read it," Scarlett responded. She kept her gaze on the table. "It is a very... painful curse, sir. And Reparo," she continued hastily, before he could say something, "Fixes objects."

"Very good," he said instead of what she thought he would. "Can you perform them?"

"I.. I don't know, sir."

The brooding man pursed his lips and slid a rather thin object onto the table. A wand. She stared at it uncertainly before looking up at him. His face looked as though he was trying to be kind, but he looked, also, as if he'd rather be riding with unicorns. She didn't want to make him angry by overstepping any boundaries. "Try," he requested. "You will not always get it on the first try, like Miss Granger. She's an insufferable know-it-all. You look as though you have a decent head on your shoulders."

She hesitated once more, her hand lifting from her lap. "What if it doesn't work, sir? What if I don't have magic?"

"If you are a Prince, Miss Scarlett, then you have magic," he stated simply. "Take. The. Wand."

She did so, and swallowed hesitantly. She could feel something... some warmth in the wood between her fingers. She struggled with the proper wand motions Hermione hadn't taught her those. "Expelliarmus," she tried again. There was no spell to fall from the wand. Scarlett felt her heart sink. "Sir, I don't think-"

He rose from the table and Scarlett quieted immediately. As he walked around to her side of the table, he gestured for her to stand. He held out his arm, as though he had a wand in it. "Like so."

He made a quick movement, which she watched very closely. "Can you do it once more, sir?" she requested quietly, watching him even closer than before. He obeyed. She swallowed and aimed her wand at the cup and saucer that had been the target since the beginning of the session.

"Expelliarmus," Scarlett said carefully, swishing her arm exactly as he had shown. The cup went flying across the room and smashed upon the wall. The joy she felt at seeing the spell spout from the wand faded. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry-"

"Very good," he approved. "Repair it."

Scarlett nodded, moving towards the fallen tea cup and saucer. "Reparo," she said with the same wand movements as before. Nothing happened.

"Less flick. It's just a swish," Severus stated from across the library.

Scarlett nodded, swallowing as she did as requested. The cup mended itself as though it had never fallen. She gasped in surprise, touching it lightly as though it would shatter. "It's perfect!" she insisted, looking up. He was staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You get excited over the simplest spell."

She immediately hid her smile. "Sorry, sir. I... I've never... You can have your wand back now."

She passed it to him, but he didn't take it. "Try divindo next," he requested instead.

"On what, sir?" she asked.

"Me," he drawled, his dark eyes watching her own.

"I can't, sir," she immediately protested. "I don't want to-"

"Do. It." he said slowly, but dangerously. She nodded, dropping her gaze. The wand rose and she made a quick slashing motion. "Divindo."

The sleeve of his black cloak tore, and she waited for him to scold her. He didn't.

"Now repair it."

"Reparo."

She watched in amazement as the fabric began to stitch itself back together. Everything that was broken could be fixed once more. She only hoped that applied to people as well. Scarlett hoped that with being free, she could be the person she was, not the person she was forced to be.

"Excellent," Severus drawled, stopping the red-head's musings. "For the first time using a wand, I'd say..." She felt her palms get sweaty. Was he going to say she did horrible? She really hadn't done well. She had several, several attempts at the other spells she had read about, and she hadn't even gotten Expelliarmus down. She was doomed to fail if she went to this school for witches and wizards. Hermione had told her all about the classes and she knew nothing about the stars, or half of the potions. She knew some, as she had to brew medicine for the Malfoys, but she didn't know anything of transfiguration, either. Severus continued after a pause, "I'd say you are rather well adapt to the art."

Scarlett gasped in surprise, "Really, sir?

"You're learning quicker than I expected," he nodded shortly.

"I... I - Thank you, sir."

"Now, have you ever brewed a potion?"

"Just basic cleaning solutions, sir," Scarlett answered. "And some medicines and such, with the elves doing most of the work on them. I've never brewed much, though..."

"Do you know herbs? Plants and potion properties?"

"Of course, sir," Scarlett answered, smiling slightly. "I have to make sure what I'm using is right."

"Very well," Severus drawled, seeming pleased with this. "We'll teach you how to brew as well."

It continued like that for the first week. Hermione and Scarlett would read the course books Severus left Scarlett nonstop – any spare moment. Scarlett would help Molly whenever she could, often being scolded by the woman for doing too much – she had only cleaned the counter tops spotless. Severus would begin the lessons by brewing, teaching her all the combinations of possible concoctions and how to counter them. She learned more in those moments than she did with Hermione, though she'd never tell the bushy-haired girl that. And then Severus would move onto quizzing her. With a wand of her own – courtesy of the Dark Lord, Severus had told her when she asked who had given her the money – she got passed the second year course of studies. The second week, they focused on third and fourth year things, and she felt like her head was going to explode, but she forgot nothing. Not even the first few passages she had learned.

She could read on her own, though she had some difficulty with unfamiliar words. She'd read into the night until she passed out on her bed with her book on her lap and the tip of her wand in a faint glow, so she wouldn't wake her roommates.

She was being told a story by the funny woman with the pink hair – Tonks, she believed, when Severus came bursting through the door. Molly jumped at his entrance and put a hand to her heart.

"Honestly, Severus! Don't you knock?"

"We must leave, now."

Scarlett knew he was talking to her, as his eyes never faltered from her to even apologize to the kind Weasley mother. Scarlett rose from between Ginny and Hermione and approached Severus quietly. She was going where? She didn't know. She just knew it had something to do with the Manor.

With a flick of his wand, her t-shirt and jeans changed into an elegant black gown that went just to her knees. Her size had grown from emaciated to healthier "though Molly assured the girl she needed a few more pounds before she was allowed to head to Hogwarts. As Scarlett hesitated in taking his arm, he snapped, "We have no time to waste, girl. The Dark Lord requested your presence to see just how far along your progress is going," he informed her as he led her into the hall, to the front stoop to apparate.

Scarlett frowned to herself, watching her feet as she walked quickly. "Master will be there?"

"He's not longer your master," Severus snapped.

Scarlett winced slightly at the tone. "I-I'm sorry, sir. I've grown so used to calling him Master that it is a tough habit to break. I'm trying, sir-"

"I'm not angry with you," he stated, his tone more neutral than before. He tightened his grip on her hand that was on his arm. "Take a deep breath."

She knew the routine. She took a deep breath and was whisked away into the night in a cloud of smoke.


	6. Chapter 6

They landed at the black front gates of Malfoy Manor. The tall shubbery was looming over them on either side and as he led her through the bars, she couldn't help but keep close. She felt like a slave once more, being punished for running away.

"The rules?"

"What rules?" Scarlett asked, glancing up at him in surprise. Was she supposed to memorize some rules for this?

"No eye contact," Severus stated. "Don't speak unless spoken to. Do not interrupt. Don't apologize too much. Keep strong. And for the love of Merlin, work on those occulmens I've been teaching you."

She nodded slowly, throwing her shield up. It was one of the first things he taught her once she got the basic spells down. He said it was necessary if the Dark Lord was going to sponsor her being freed. It didn't make Scarlett any less terrified. If her walls broke? What would he see? She didn't know much, just the name of the Order of the Phoenix, and Severus assured her he couldn't see it unless Dumbledore told him specifically.

They were all seated around the large banquet table as Severus led her up the stairs of the Manor. She recognized the room only barely "she hadn't been in here for years. Death Eaters were in every seat around the edge, crooning at each other and having conversations Scarlett knew wouldn't be pleasant. Lucius Malfoy looked worse for wear as he was seated beside his wife and son. Scarlett made sure not to stare at the ornate family she had lived to serve not even weeks before.

"Finally, Severus. I was beginning to think you wouldn't come," the Dark Lord spoke, hushing all his followers. "And Scarlett, my beautiful one!" The Dark Lord seemed particularly pleased to see her. "What a magificent surprise! You look very well... You are being treated nicely?"

"Yes, my Lord," Scarlett nodded, bowing only slightly as Severus intoned his head at his lord. "Thank you, once more, for this gift you've given me." Severus, of course, had told her all she needed to say to him. She was ready for any question that seemed what he would likely ask. He had even prepared her for some of the odder questions - The Granger girl is teaching you? You look very much like Ginny, do you know why? Any findings on your family?

"Are your trainings progressing, Scarlett?" the Dark Lord inquired, gesturing for the duo to sit in the only empty chairs. Scarlett was very thankful they were beside each other as she didn't think she'd know what she'd do if she had to sit by herself, surrounded by the men, and some women, that killed and murdered thousands.

"Yes, My Lord," Scarlett nodded, not feeling a need to elaborate.

"How far is she, Severus?" It seemed she didn't need to.

"Third year, currently. She has a quick mind and easily picks up on things," Severus praised lightly. "I was quite surprised with the progress she's made."

"Is that so? Perhaps she gets that from her mother?" the Dark Lord suggested airily. She supposed she would have, if she knew who her mother was. "Tell me, has she had any difficulties thus far?"

"Apart from never knowing how to read, my Lord? I believe she has had no difficulties. Like I said, she has showed astounding progress."

"Never learned to read?" the Dark Lord murmured, staring at Scarlett with sparkling eyes, full of evil mischief she didn't want to think about. "Can she now?"

"Of course, my Lord," Severus replied. "I wasn't going to do all the studying for her."

The Dark Lord's lips quirked at that and his attention turned to Scarlett's previous Master, who was watching his ex-servant curiously. Scarlett didn't look at him, but the weight of his gaze made her feel uncomfortable. She almost squirmed in her seat, but knew she couldn't. He'd notice. Who he was – the Dark Lord, Severus, or Lucius - he didn't know. She just knew one of them would.

"And Lucius, what have you to say?" the Dark Lord asked.

"Severus has been here quite often, my Lord. I find it hard to believe he is the only one helping her," Master spat at the teenage girl.

Scarlett flinched at his tone and tensed, waiting for some form of torture to make her speak some form of any truth he wanted.

"That is between Severus, the girl, and I, Lucius," the Dark Lord hissed. "It is not in your place to know."

"I kept the girl alive, my Lord," Lucius spoke. "I believe I have a right to-"

"Crucio!" Master gave a choked cry of surprise as the spell hit him. Scarlett's eyes widened a bit at the blatant torture the Dark Lord gave, and she refused to look up from the wooden table for the remainder of the meeting. She didn't want to be tortured. The man she viewed as her savior the last few weeks was just as dangerous, if not more so, than her previous master.

The meeting was over in only a few hours, but Scarlett was still hungry for more of the dinner she hadn't been able to finish. As her stomach growled, Severus apparated her to the doorstep of 12 Grimmauld Place. "You did well, girl," he stated as he helped her regain her balance as she almost toppled down the stairs.

"I have a name," she said quietly as he turned to apparate away.

"And we've still yet to figure out your real last name."

"Young-Draco," she corrected quickly, "said that it was Prince. It was in the book. Wouldn't that be right?"

"It's not possible," Severus insisted shortly. "There hasn't been a male Prince for generations."

"But that's my name," she insisted. "It has to be true-"

"My mother was the last Prince," Severus stated. "She had no siblings and her parents were killed long before I was born, myself. It is impossible for you to be a Prince."

Scarlett's eyes widened in surprise. "You're a Prince?"

"No," he said flatly. "I'm a Snape. My mother was a Prince. The last Prince." His eyes watched her closely, as if he expected her to morph into something – or someone. She didn't know who, but she did know that he probably didn't know whoever it was anymore. Snape snapped, "Go inside and finish your meal."

"Yes, sir," Scarlett nodded, opening the door quickly. She watched him apparate away before she closed it and moved towards the abandoned dining room. Her food was still warm, though she didn't know how, and untouched from when she had last touched it. Ron was seated across from Hermione, a chess board between them, and they seemed to be having a very intense game.

"How was the snake party?" Ron asked absently, before he called out another order to the chess board. The pieces began to move to their destination.

Scarlett grimaced at his harsh tone and the reminder of the torture she had seen being handed out to just about everyone. "Not pleasant."

He snorted, shoving a piece of food on a plate beside him into his mouth. He acted as though he never ate. "Of course not. You went with Snape."

"Professor Snape, Ronald," Hermione corrected, irritated. She was losing, and she didn't seem happy about it. "And he's not the problem. It's you-know-who."

"He saved my life," Scarlett told them quietly. "Him and Young Master, both." She didn't know why she felt the need to defend them, but she did. They weren't good people, by any means. Draco could have been, but she didn't know him too well.

As Hermione glanced at her in surprise, she dropped her gaze to her plate and finished her meal in silence, only listening to the board game absently. She was too interested in the memory of the way the Dark Lord had not even hesitated. She never saw him once hesitate. He was so sure that whatever he was doing was right that he never once stepped back and saw the destruction he was causing.

As Scarlett finished her meal, Hermione defeated in her game, the red-haired teen rose and put the plate in the sink, where it automatically began to wash itself. She then entered the room, telling Hermione that she was going to start to study once more, and then darted up the stairs. Every time she shut her eyes, blinking the sleep from her eyes with every sentence she read, she saw Lucius Malfoy writhing and crying out.

She wondered if that was what she looked like when she was tortured by him. A part of her wanted to feel happy that he was being hurt, as revenge for all the times he had hurt her, but another part, the much bigger part, felt that she should feel remorse for the man. He was, perhaps, a bad man, told all the wrong things as a child, and didn't, therefore, know any better.

It was possible.

The door opened and Ginny greeted her before saying her goodnights and getting into bed. Hermione came after the Weasley daughter was asleep, a frustrated look about her as she fell onto the bed.

"Is everything alright?" Scarlett asked quietly, not wanting to pry, but curious all the same.

"Ron beat me, again, in chess."

"Oh, well you can only get better!" Scarlett tried to be optimistic, but Hermione groaned yet again and rolled onto her side. "What book are you on now?"

"Fourth year transfiguration," Scarlett admitted quietly.

"What did the Dark Lord say about that?"

"He thinks I'm in third year. I just started on fourth today," Scarlett shrugged. "He's pleased with my progress, I suppose. . . I still need to sit my OWLs when I get to Hogwarts, almost immediately... It will not be an easy entrance into the school... I shouldn't even be in your year, but I'm very grateful to be going at all."

"You're a year older, aren't you?" Hermione questioned with a yawn. "A seventh year?"

"I believe so," Scarlett admitted with another shrug. She dropped her gaze back down to her book, the shadows dancing along the pages from the candle resting beside her pillow. It was the only light she had – she didn't want to use wandlight. The candle made her feel warm and full inside, even in the darkest of moments in the room.

"Well, we're very glad to have you," Hermione insisted. "I can't wait for you to see it. It's always magical." There was a pause as Scarlett didn't know how to respond, so Hermione changed the subject. "How's Defense?"

"I'm a bit behind," Scarlett admitted. "Severus is unable to teach me that, because it's very hands on and he's always away. He says that he will personally tutor me in the subject when we get to school, but I fear that we will both be busy."

"Harry's amazing at Defense Against the Dark Arts," Hermione admitted quietly, resting her head on her pillow as she stared across the room at Scarlett. "He taught all of the fifth years last year. I'm sure he'd love to teach you!"

"I do not want to ask of someone I do not know to teach me," Scarlett admitted quietly. "I do not wish to make enemies."

"Harry can't be your enemy," Hermione promised. "He is the one that's destined to defeat the Dark Lord." Scarlett looked up from her book immediately, in interest. "He's a very nice boy. He lives with his Muggle aunt and uncle who aren't very nice to him."

"I suppose that we have that in common," Scarlett tried, and Hermione giggled. "He does not need to teach me, however. I'm perfectly capable on my own. Severus said he could train me if I needed more advanced-"

"Nonsense, we'll ask Harry tomorrow. He won't say no, I guarantee it!"

There was no room left for argument, as Scarlett sensed Hermione would fight the issue until she won. So Scarlett stayed silent, not giving a yes or no answer, and sighed as she continued to read her transfiguration book.

The sunrise came all too soon and Scarlett, the last to bed, was the first to rise. She took a shower in the bathroom down the hall before returning to her room to grab her book. Hermione was up, then, and the white blanket with pink embroidery from Scarlett's bed in her hands.

"It's beautiful," Hermione admitted, glancing up.

"I've had it ever since I could remember," Scarlett admitted quietly, her heart constricting painfully. Would Hermione want it as her own? "Narcissa says that it's what I was dropped off in."

"What did it say?"

"I don't remember," Scarlett admitted.

Hermione bit her lip and waved her wand around it. Scarlett reached for it, before stepping back and biting her lip. Nothing bad happened to the blanket, however, it looked much healthier, if blankets could look healthier. The clumps of fuzz flattened until it looked like a brand new blanket. Scarlett's jaw dropped and she reached for it, touching the soft fabric. "Thank you..."

"The stitching didn't come back," Hermione said regretfully. "I was hoping it'd say something... If this was your parents, they must have loved you very much."

Scarlett smiled carefully and took the blanket as Hermione handed it to her. "I'd like to think..."

Hermione convinced Scarlett to begin working on transfiguration and they did so for a few hours before lunch, practicing the transformations of live animals into objects – her poor cat Crookshanks was the culprit of the cruel magic.

"You're a very fast learner," Hermione praised as Scarlett turned the crystal vase back into an angry puffy orange cat.

"I've always been good with my memory," Scarlett admitted quietly. "I can link pictures in my head to objects and if I can memorize what a page or face looks like, I can remember what it is... It's always been that way." She blushed. "I suppose when I have no other purpose but to do as I'm told, I tend to learn how to do things the way I must, in order to survive."

"You have still not found out who your parents are, have you?" Hermione asked carefully.

Scarlett shook her head, her wand lowering until it was in her pocket. "No... Severus is working on the potion."

"Why do you call him Severus?"

"He's not yet my professor," Scarlett admitted. "He has not yet told me to call him something else. If he so wishes I do, I will..."

Hermione considered this and then picked up her orange cat, cooing at the creature. "I think we're done for today. When Professor Snape arrives, I'll find you..."

"I'll be in the library, anyway, so no need," Scarlett answered. Truth be told, she had been dying for a chance to be left alone so she could explore the library. As Hermione disappeared to find Ginny, Scarlett took the steps two at a time, but still took her time as well, before she pushed open the door to the library. It was empty, and looked like it hadn't been breached all morning.

As she scanned the titles of books – some took her longer to read than others – she found one she was looking for. She had heard the Blacks were a dark family – Severus had provided the information – so she expected every type of spell to be included.

She slid a rather large, burgundy tome from the shelf and nearly grunted under its weight. Her legs dragged her to the table she usually studied with Severus and she dropped the book with a small smack. Her body tensed, as though she was going to be punished for the sound, before Scarlett sat quietly and flipped through the pages, reading through the table of contents.

Her stomach flipped with excitement and anxiety as she found the page and began to read the passage. Her heart sped up and her palms grew sweaty, the grip on her wand getting warmer and warmer. This could have been the moment, the very moment, where everything was righted – where all the wrong in the world would be fixed.

She flicked her wand, saying strongly, "Recipero!" Nothing happened.

She didn't know if it was the disappointment of the spell not working or the fact that she was frustrated with herself, but she repeated the spell again, her heart breaking in two every moment it failed. Finally, there was no piece of her heart left to break and she sagged in her chair in defeat, her eyes tearing up and her will faltering.

Not everything could be fixed.


	7. Chapter 7

She hastily brushed her tears away as she heard firm footsteps approaching the library door. She shut the book and covered it with another, to make it look as though she was reading transfiguration. She could hardly see the words however, from her tears. She blinked to rid herself of them and wiped them as they fell just as the door opened.

"I see you're early."

Scarlett didn't glance at him, keeping her face hidden in the book. "I usually am, sir." She winced as her voice faltered a hint and suddenly the room was silent.

"Why are you upset?"

"I'm not, sir," she answered quickly. "I'm very happy to be here."

"You still can be upset, if you're happy to be here. I'm upset every time I walk into Order homes, yet immensely relieved at the same time because there isn't a murdering man threatening to kill me for every step I take," Severus stated. He seated himself across from her and cleared his throat. "Your book is upside down." Her eyes focused on the pages and saw they were indeed upside down. She hastily flipped it around and swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry, sir-"

"Why are you upset?" he asked, this time his tone no longer as factual as before, but generally curious.

"It's nothing, sir. I was just practicing."

"Did you injure yourself?" he asked, looking to see if he could identify any wounds. "No?"

"No, sir." She wanted to say yes, however, and leave it at that. Her words didn't work the way she wanted to. "I mean-"

"Very well, if you do not wish to talk of it, then we shall not," he interrupted, looking, once more, like he didn't care. His gaze traveled to the book she had taken from the shelf, but he didn't comment. Instead, he slid it towards himself and opened the page to where her wand lay, marking her place. "This is very advanced."

"Curiosity, sir. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have touched it-" Scarlett insisted. "It won't happen-"

"Why do you wish to perform this spell and why are you upset over it?' he murmured to himself. She didn't know if she was supposed to answer, so she stayed silent. His black eyes flickered up toward her and he assessed her as she stared at the book carefully. "I believe it's time we prepared the potion for finding your parents."

Her eyes lifted to his in surprise. "Sir?"

He shut the book, letting her wand stay in its place. "I trust your lessons are up to speed."

"Yes, sir. I'm almost done with fourth year now-"

"I see," Severus drawled. He slid the book back across the table to her, watching as she gently moved it so it was parallel to the end of the table. "Come with me." She rose as he did and glanced at the page number of the book before removing her wand from its depths and following the dark haired, dark cloaked man from the library, down the hall. Scarlett wiped the remnants of her tears and straightened out her shirt as she followed after him.

They migrated towards the stairs when she asked, "Where are we going, sir?"

"The kitchen."

"Oh..." She hesitated, and he knew what she was going to ask.

"The potion is brewing there. Molly has been working on it since this morning."

"What does this potion do?"

"It will tell us your blood status. And then we can go from there."

She didn't know what was so great about this blood status. "What are the possible blood statuses?"

He peered at her through his black hair as it fell into his eyes. Severus Snape almost seemed amazed that she didn't know what the information she requested was. He answered in a slow drawl, as if it was something she needed to know for the rest of her life, "Muggleborn, Halfblood, Pureblood."

"And the Dark Lord wants Pureblood, correct?"

"Correct," he nodded. "Halfblood is fine, as long as you do not disobey him..."

"You disobey him," she said quietly. "Are you a Pureblood, so he lets you get away with it?"

He seemed amused with this. "I'm a Half-blood. The Dark Lord does not know I disobey him, and you mustn't tell him. It is very vital. Can I trust you with that information?"

"Of course, sir," she answered immediately. She didn't want to give him any reason to dislike her, nor not trust her. She was trustworthy. She didn't recall a time she ever tattled... She didn't have anyone to tattle to. "If we find my parents, what happens, sir?"

He pushed open the kitchen door and gestured for her to go through and as the door swung shut behind him, only then did he answer. "I'd imagine you'd be reunited with them."

She swallowed, "What if they don't want me?" She had been preparing herself for that very idea since she was brought to the Order. If they found her parents and they didn't want her... it would be heartbreaking, but she had lived eighteen years without them... She prayed they wanted her. She wanted to know her true parents, know why they gave her up, but... She didn't want to be told by her birth parents she wasn't wanted. She had gone her entire life not being worthy of even making eye contact with Master... If she could be worth something, she was worth more than dirt, at least.

Severus paused in front of a bubbling cauldron and stared at the red-haired witch. "What makes you think they wouldn't want you?"

"They left me at Malfoys," Scarlett shrugged, hugging her arms to herself. "I don't know... Perhaps they never wanted me in the first place."

"You must understand that those times were dangerous. With the war and the inability to trust no one, to place you in the hands of a wealthy person, guaranteed to be on the safe end of the war, was a mercy... They probably never intended you to be a slave. Some people only see the good in others... like you."

"There is no good in Lucius Malfoy," Scarlett said quietly.

Severus's lip quirked and he nodded once. "Yes, my thoughts exactly. He does tend to surprise me, however, if the moment is prime."

"Surprise you?"

"He kept you alive, for starters."

"He's had slaves before me?" Scarlett asked curiously, biting her lip.

"His father did... He died when you couldn't have been more than a few years old. He ensured the slaves would not pass down to Lucius."

"He killed them," Scarlett deduced.

Severus nodded, turning his attention back to the potion and pouring a ladle full into a vial, before presenting a smaller cauldron, this one empty. "He did not want to let Lucius have a slave that had. He didn't believe in sharing." Scarlett felt her stomach turn uneasily. "This potion must be consumed. Once you do so, you will swallow it and hold it down for as long as you can. It will naturally be vomited out. Be sure to vomit into the empty cauldron."

"Yes, sir."

It was not the first time she had been sick. She took the warm vial carefully and downed it as quickly as she possibly could. It had a slimy texture, thick and felt like it was made of a chunky material. She didn't want to know what was in it. Just thinking it made her want to throw it up immediately. The taste was even worse. It tasted like garlic mixed with grass and dirt. She didn't know what the latter tasted like, but she had a guess. She could feel it resurfacing, but she placed a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut in order to gain strength.

She didn't. She only managed to hold it in a few moments before the potion came out, landing gracefully in the bucket. As graceful as it could be, she supposed.

"Very good," Severus approved. He glanced into the smaller cauldron, and made a noise that sounded almost like a squeak and a statement of surprise. "Halfblood."

She thought this was good, but the strange expression on his face told her that it wasn't... Why wasn't it?

"You just said that halfblood was fine," Scarlett stated carefully. "Will he kill me?"

Severus quickly schooled his features. "No. No. Let us get back to our lesson."

She was confused as to why he suddenly shifted moods. "Is something the matter?"

There was a long pause as Severus stared into the cauldron before shaking his head once. "No..." He ignored her worried tone. "Would you like to learn more advanced spells?"

She knew he was suddenly changing the subject, but let him. "I'd love it, sir."

"And if I were to teach you spells that not even Miss Granger knows?"

She stared at him with wide eyes. "Sir, I... I do not understand why you would offer such a thing... I've barely started fourth year."

"And yet when I was in fourth year, I was creating my own spells," Severus stated. Her mouth opened, to protest that he had grown up with magic his entire life, and had training and knowledge, but he cut her off. "Anything is possible if you push yourself."

"What would I learn, sir?" she asked carefully. She wanted to learn, she truly did, but she didn't think she was ready for it.

"I'd teach you things such as advanced potions, spellwork, as well as a few Muggle subjects like History, geography, and we'd apply those concepts to a more hands on approach to Muggle theory." She didn't know what to say. NO one had ever offered anything like it to her before.

"Sir, I..." She blinked, trying to form some words. "I'm very -"

"If you do not wish it, it will not be -"

"I'd love that, but I do not want you to be overwhelmed. I already take up much of your time," Scarlett insisted. "I don't want you to be fed up with me already, sir."

He rolled his eyes at her, clearing his throat. "I would not have offered if I had not been able to accommodate. Since you do not wish it-"

"I'd love it," she insisted quickly. She winced as she realized she interrupted him. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to interrupt-"

"You're very quick on your feet," he stated dryly. "I'd like to see how far you can go before you can go no further."

"Test me, you mean?" Scarlett clarified.

"Yes. If you are a Prince, then you have extensive knowledge you need only unlock," Severus stated. "And I intend to help you unlock it."

"Why, sir?" she asked quietly.

"Why were you upset?"

She supposed it was a fair question. "I..." She lowered her eyes to the table. "Something was taken from me, sir... I was trying to get it back, but the spell didn't work... I can't get it back, you see... I was upset over that."

"What is it? Perhaps it can be replaced."

She glanced up sharply, her eyes wide, "No... No, it can't be replaced with anything..."

"Was it something your parents had left you with?"

"No..." She didn't want him to keep pressing anymore, so she changed the subject. "When will you start teaching me, sir?"

"When term starts," he answered as though they had been talking of it the entire time. "We can begin with the book in the library if you wish."

She stared at him, to see if he was teasing her, but he wasn't. He was as serious as he always was. "Wherever you wish to start, sir."

He hummed an affirmative that he had heard her and she was silent, trying to figure out what they were to do next. He stirred the potion carefully, almost lovingly, she supposed, before he cast a charm on it to make it keep. "You didn't sleep last night."

She blinked at him, "I'm sorry, sir."

"Hermione tells me that you stayed up all night, reading. If that is the case, I will begin to take the books away."

Her eyes widened, "No, sir! I just... I had so much to learn, I lost track of time-"

"You have two weeks to learn another year of information," he stated simply. "You don't need to rush. If you've acquired the first four years in two weeks, then you shouldn't have trouble with the next year."

"I just wanted to be ahead," she admitted quietly. "Hermione already has her entire sixth year things read... I'm sorry, I'll slow down-"

"Do you not find what you read difficult? To remember, in the slightest?"

She blushed, looking away as she shook her head. "I can remember things, sir. Every face I've ever come across, every letter I've ever read, every conversation I've ever spoken. It all is up there and … It's not very difficult to remember for me. I just have a difficulty understanding the knowledge I've attained."

"And yet," Severus said slowly, his eyes still hard on her, "you are more adept at spellcraft than your peers ever were."

"I am?" she asked, surprised. "I don't believe I am... I just read it, sir, and then you test me on it."

"Do you wish it differently?"

Did she wish it? No. She shook her head. "I learn it properly that way, sir. With being taught individually what I must learn. It helps... a lot." She bit her lip. "I mean to say, I don't believe I'm more adept because I've never had as much time to practice the spells as Hermione or Ron have."

"And Granger is an insufferable know-it-all and Weasley can't tell which end of the wand is which," Severus drawled, making her giggle slightly with Ron's image. Her hand flew to cover her mouth, to try to hide the giggle, but it escaped anyway. He seemed to find this a good thing, however, when she laughed.

"What's it like, sir?" she asked once she stopped giggling. "Hogwarts, I mean." she clarified.

He weighed the question carefully. "I grew up much like you. My mother was a witch, and my father was a Muggle. A Muggle is-"

"A non-magical person," Scarlett answered quickly, taking a seat on a stool so she could hear the story. She was already enraptured in it and he had yet to say a word.

"Yes," he nodded, taking a seat, as well. "My mother never told my father she was a witch. He never suspected she was either. They had fallen in love and she had given up magic for him. When I was born, and showed signs of magic, my mother had to explain before they carted me off to a mental hospital or some other place to get me tested. He wasn't very happy."

"Why not?" Scarlett asked, curious. "I thought magic was a good thing... Magic helps us live, like the Muggles use their crars."

"Cars," he corrected on instinct. "Yes, well, my mother believed he would take it well. She was illusioned by her love for him that he would accept it and accept her. He didn't."

"But he loved her," Scarlett bit her lip.

"Love can easily turn to hate," Severus stated simply. She nodded, like she understood, and he continued. But she didn't understand how someone could love someone, and then hate them. "I was four when I turned my father's hair yellow." His lips twitched at the memory. "Seven when I set the kitchen on fire. Eight when my father began to drink heavily."

"Drink?" she asked, confused. "What does a beverage have to do with anything? I don't get it, sir."

"He began to drink alcohol," he clarified. "He was a very troubled man that had grown to hate my mother, and myself. He made sure we knew, and so my mother and I were beaten regularly when I was younger. I met Lily Evans when I was nine. She knew magic, just like me, but she didn't know what she was. She was from a Muggle family, had annoying sister named Petunia, and Lily was very kind." He swallowed as he remembered back, as though it pained him. "I told her everything about magic, everything my mother had said, and when she got her letter, to go to Hogwarts, I had gotten mine as well. The first time I saw Hogwarts, my mother hadn't done it justice. The castle gleams in the moonlight. The sun shines in the day off the gray stones. Black Lake glitters and the Giant Squid entertains. I can't even do it justice. Just know that when you see it, you'll never forget it."

"Did you and Lily Evans end up in the same house together?" Scarlett asked curiously. "She's your friend, isn't she?"

"She was in Gryffindor, and I in Slytherin," Severus said carefully. "We stayed friends for five years, until the end of O.W.L.s."

"Do O.W.L.s tell you who you can be friends with?" Scarlett asked, confused. "You said Professor Dumbledore says I have to take them... I don't know if I want to, now. I mean, if they tell me I can't be friends with Ron and Hermione, who could I be friends with? I don't know anyone-"

"O.W.L.s are an exam that tests your knowledge. I called Lily a nasty word and she refused to talk to me afterward, right after our exam."

"Oh," Scarlett admitted, suddenly feeling foolish. She flushed deeply and lowered her eyes to the kitchen counter.

"She died at the end of the first war, and she still hated me," Severus drawled. "I never got a chance to apologise properly."

"How did she die?"

"I killed her." Scarlett looked up sharply, but he quickly continued. "I heard half of a prophecy, meant for her, and I didn't know that. I relayed it to the Dark Lord, because I was marked then, and he made it his mission to kill whoever was to have a child at the end of July. Lily Potter and Alice Longbottom."

"Potter... Like Harry Potter."

"The child she'd have on July 31 would be Harry Potter," Severus admitted. "She had married James Potter out of school. She disappeared on a six month expedition to Ireland right after their wedding, alone, to watch a few suspected Death Eaters. I only knew because I had then told Dumbledore what I had done. She had just returned from her months away, and she was expected Potter. She had just gotten pregnant when she returned, you see." Scarlett nodded carefully. "She was in hiding for almost two years, with Potter. Alice and Frank Longbottom, whose child was born July 30th, were also in hiding. The Dark Lord went after them Halloween of '81. He murdered Lily and James, and tried to kill Harry, but couldn't."

"But you didn't kill her," Scarlett insisted. "It was a mistake. You didn't know it meant her-"

"I should not have joined the Dark Side in the first place. I only did because Lily would no longer talk to me."

"So it's Lily's fault she died," Scarlett pointed out.

He glared at her. "It's not her fault."

Scarlett sank back in her seat on the stool. "Sorry, sir." There was a moment of silence before she spoke again. "You loved her... And she loved you back."

"She didn't love me back."

"But she had to have," Scarlett insisted. "You said love and hate could easily turn into each other. She loved you, you called her a name... and she hated you. Right?"

"Not everything works that way," Severus stated.

"But why couldn't it?" Scarlett pressed, but not prying. She just wanted to make him feel better about himself. She stood suddenly and Severus's eyes watched her. "You were friends for five years, well, longer than five years if you count the time before Hogwarts. She had to have loved you for you two to be friends for so long. And she had to have known you loved her, as well. I mean, all friends love each other, don't they? I wouldn't know, of course, but I think they do. And … well, you did apologize after you said the word, didn't you? She had to have realized that something must have trigered it and she had to have been curious as to what that something was." Scarlett paused in her pacing, glancing at Severus. "She had to have asked, right? I mean, she didn't just stop talking to you all together!"

"Her friends kept her away from me."

Scarlett frowned. "But she wasn't even curious as to what caused you to say it?"

"James Potter and his friends cursed me in the courtyard. She rushed to my aid, and I, in a burst of anger, called her a Mudblood."

"Why that's not a very nasty name at all," Scarlett insisted. "Lucius Malfoy and the Dark Lord use it all the time, but they use it to refer to a blood status, not to be nasty to their face... They use other means for that."

"It is a term used by the Dark Side to refer to people born from Muggles as filthy blooded," Severus explained.

"But there could tons of terms that could be worse than that," Scarlett reasoned. "I mean, if it's truly that bad, I won't say it, of course, but if you insulted ones parents, that would be much worse. And if you, well, if you called them dozens of other names-"

"Your point?"

"Why did she take such offense?" Scarlett said quickly, getting to the point. "And why did she not seek out the reason. It makes no sense to me! Why, if it was me, I'd certainly find out why you said that. I mean, nothing like that's ever happened to me, of course, but I should think that I'd figure it out."

"Did you ever ask Lucius why he tormented you so much? Why he made a slave instead of a neice or … bastard Malfoy?"

"Being it would tarnish his reputation if I were a bastard, sir," Scarlett answered. "He never wanted me in the first place. I never asked, because I imposed on his home. I wasn't even supposed to be there, but my mother or father had to have dropped me off. I shouldn't have been there. So I never asked why he tormented me, because I knew... I shouldn't have been there, I shouldn't have even been alive. . . Lucius could have killed me, but Narcissa said she wanted me to stay... I owe them my life. They took me in from the streets."

"Into a cold room that was colder inside than it was outside."

She frowned slightly. "Well... I mean, it was better than rain."

"And you were given rags for clothing."

"I was given a silk dress one day," Scarlett insisted. "Narcissa made it especially for me. It was when the Ministry raided the Manor in search of dark objects... They treated me like I was one of them... Narcissa even took me into the local village and we dined like queens."

"And you never thought they just treated you nicely because the Ministry was there?"

Scarlett shrugged, "I knew they were just treating me nicely because of that. As soon as the Aurors left, I was cast back to work and the dress taken from me."

"Yet you find it a glorious day."

"It is," she insisted. "It was the first time I was ever treated like I was supposed to be there. I rather liked it, I think... It wasn't bad, living with the Malfoys. I just had to … well, I had to be careful with what I did. If I did something wrong, I got punished for it. I didn't always do everything wrong, sir. There were some days where I was fairly well left alone."

"No friends."

"Elves are friends."

He rolled his eyes. "No human friends."

"No, but that's okay. I have human friends now, instead," Scarlett tucked a lock of her red hair behind her ear, biting her lip. "Anyway, sir, Lily would have at least asked you why you would have done such a thing... She would have confronted you about it."

"She never wished to talk to me. I tried to talk to her many times."

"Well, that's just absurd. She should have at least talked to you once. Any sane person would do that," Scarlett insisted. "It's hard to hate someone if there's no reasonable explanation behind it."

"Do you hate Lucius Malfoy?"

"No," she admitted. "He knows no other way but violence. I do not hate him. He looks like he has enough pressure on his plate. I mean, the beatings weren't really that bad until the Dark Lord returned. They became more frequent then. He needed to get out his stress-"

"It's no excuse," Severus said sharply. "You're a human being. A little girl."

"I'm of age," Scarlett reminded him.

"Yet you look twelve because you're so underweight."

Scarlett frowned, glancing down at herself. "I do?"

He sighed, "No. You look, perhaps, sixteen. Still much too young for almost eighteen."

Oh, yes. She was turning eighteen soon. She seemed surprised he remembered. "Oh, thank you, sir."

"We should return to the lesson," Severus stated. He rose and gestured for her to follow him. "Come. We have much to discuss."

In the end, he organized that when term started, he'd give her a single project each week. She'd have plenty of time, he had insisted, but he'd wait until she got the hang of term to begin them. He said they were more advanced than seventh year potions, and spellwork, so she was very eager to take them on. She wanted to learn as much as she could. She had five years to make up for, after all.

"The potion for finding out your parents will not be completed until tomorrow night," Severus said as he departed. "I will arrive at the Burrow, then, and we will commence."

She smiled brightly, "Thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me. You're all so nice to me, and I don't know what I've done to deserve it, but I'm very grateful." She clutched her wand tightly as they seated themselves across from each other in the library. "Sir... I have a question." Suddenly very nervous, she set her wand down on the table and waited for his nod to go on. "I … I wonder... When I go to Hogwarts, sir... Will I be laughed at?"

"Why-ever for?" He seemed surprised at the idea, let alone she thought of it.

"They no doubt will hear of my past," Scarlett admitted. "Draco will be there... There are things I don't want them to know."

"It hard to keep things from a group of snivelling children."

She bit her lip. "So I were to want something a secret?"

"You'd never speak of it at all."

"But... Hasn't anyone heard of me? I mean, I was the Malfoy slave girl... I'll be in the papers, right, if everyone found out?"

"Yes, and it is inevitable that they would find out," Severus stated. "You mustn't let them get to you."

"I won't," Scarlett said quietly. "At least, I don't think I will let them... get to me, that is. I just... I just want them to like me."

"If you are yourself, they will have to," Severus stated simply. "You're too kind and forgiving for them to despise you."

She seemed to relax at hearing this and bit her lip once more as he rose. "Another question, sir, if I may."

"Ask it," Severus said without a hint of annoyance, though she knew he had to be somewhere.

Scarlett hesitated. "What does the Dark Lord want with me?"

Severus couldn't answer her fully, because he didn't quite know himself. "I'd think it's to make friends with the Golden Trio... Make them trust you."

"I'd turn on them, sir," Scarlett admitted. "I'd never hurt them."

"I know. But for right now, the Dark Lord doesn't know that. He thinks you can be swayed to the Dark Side... Don't let that happen. If suspects you will stay loyal to the Order, you must run."

"He'll kill me, you mean."

"Yes, he will."

She felt sick. She stared at her folded hands, nodding slightly. "I used to think he was good person... He saved my life... He made me free."

"It's understandable."

"But he only wants me as a pawn in his game..." Scarlett blinked away tears forming. Her life was just as meaningless now as it was when she was a slave. She was still a slave under the Dark Lord. "He orders me to do what he wants and I'm to listen, like nothing's ever changed. Nothing ever will, will it?"

"You don't have to listen to him."

"He'll kill you if I don't," Scarlett insisted, standing up quickly and looking at him. Severus winced at the tears in her eyes. "He will, won't he? If I turn light, he'll kill you … or torture you... for letting it happen. And if I turn dark, I'll lose all the friends I've made. I can't let you get hurt, but I can't hurt the others, either."

"You must hurt one of us."

"You're the first friend I've made," Scarlett admitted. She quickly continued, turning red. "I mean, if we are friends, that is. I don't want to assume we are if we're not-"

"We're friends," Severus interrupted.

Scarlett smiled brightly, "Which is exactly why you can't get hurt, sir. I couldn't let that happen. So if I didn't listen to him, he'd hurt you. And if I listened to him, he'd hurt everyone else."

"Yes, basically."

"So I'm a slave for the Dark Lord, instead," Scarlett concluded. She bit her lip, wondering if it was a bold accusation, but continued none-the-less. "I don't know, I mean... I don't want him to kill me... I don't want to die... But he'll kill me no matter what I do, won't he? His slaves are as desposible as … as elves."

"Yes, they are. We'll all meet our end, eventually. It's a fate we all assume when we go into his ranks," Severus admitted.

"But I don't want to meet my end," she frowned. She tucked her red hair from her face once more, the long strands to her waist and in desperate need of a cut. Molly had said she'd cut it for the girl if she wished, when they got to the Burrow. "What if I... What if I ran? What would he do?"

"He'd hunt you until he found you."

"And if I stayed."

"He'd let you live longer... Unless you prove to be amazingly useful, he will not keep you. He will not keep me once the war is over."

"But you're very useful!"

"When there is no Order, there will be no more use of an Order spy."

Scarlett frowned, "Oh... I suppose you're right..." She stared at him a moment before glancing back towards her wand. "So no one's safe, then?"

"No one," he agreed.

It made her feel better, that she wasn't the only one that was destined to be killed. Her entire life had been her walking the fine line between life and death, and now... she wasn't the only one. There were others that struggled every day to stay alive. Others that fought to be where they were because if they weren't, they were replaced.

"Who can I trust, then? If everyone's out to stay alive..."

"You don't know who to trust. No one does."

She let out a breath and he took that as a cue for his departure.

Scarlett was left with a lot to think about. She packed all of her things into Hermione's trunk – as she didn't have her own trunk yet – and received permission from Molly to take a few books from the library for her own personal reading. She had never been to the Burrow before. She wondered if it was truly underground, like the name suggested, but when they arrived – one of Ginny's older brother's, Fred or George, she wasn't sure which, apparated her – she was surprised to find it a tower building that looked on the verge of collapse, but very humbling looking.

"It's not much," Ron admitted to her as he pushed open the door for her, "but it's home."

"It's lovely," Scarlett breathed. Her eyes darted all around the house, trying to take in everything at once. There were red and yellow looking rugs on the floor, frayed and bleeched by the sun shining through the windows, but she didn't think any less of it. The furnature had probably seen better days, or years, for that matter, but still looked rather comfy. She stopped at a rather large clock just around the corner from the kitchen and stared at all the names assorted into catagories. Arthur and Percy were at Work. Ron and the twins were at Home, with Ginny. But Ron hovered between Mortal Danger and Home, and she briefly wondered why. Molly was at Home as well, and she saw two more brothers – Bill and Charlie. Charlie was at Work, right beside Arthur, and his face was rather beefy, as though he was muscled, she observed. As Scarlett glanced at Bill's picture, she saw a charming face with a earring and pony tail accenting it. She hadn't met either of the brothers, nor Percy, for that matter.

"When should Harry be arriving, Mum?" Ron called through the small house. His footsteps were stomping up the rickety stairs and she glanced towards him to see his trunk clunking away after him.

"Oh, whenever Dumbledore brings him by!" Molly called back. Dumbledore was coming? "I'll take you to your room, my dear," Molly's voice suddenly sounded behind her. "You'll be bunking with Ginny and Hermione. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, not at all," Scarlett smiled brightly. She glanced one last time at the clock to see a black haired boy that couldn't have possibly been in the Weasley family. She wondered who this was.

Molly led up the red-haired girl that wasn't her daughter up the stairs. Scarlett took in every sharp turn, every step up and sudden leap. Her fascination with the Burrow grew with every flight of stairs. She was on the fifth floor when they came to Ginny's room. It was empty, but Molly showed her around the small, cramped room. "It's a bit cramped, dear. This is Ginny and Hermione's bed-" She pointed to two beds by the far window, covered with pretty lace blankets and such. Hermione's trunk was at the foot of what Scarlett assumed was Hermione's bed.

"And this is yours," Molly continued, gesturing to another bed, of equal size, on the other wall. It was covered in the same lacy quilt and Scarlett noticed her three dresses resting at the foot of the bed. Draped over the footboard was the baby blanket and Scarlett gave a relieved sigh at seeing it.

"This is lovely, Molly, thank you," Scarlett admitted as she stepped towards it.

"Is this your baby blanket, dear?" Molly asked, curiously.

Scarlett nodded. "Yes. I was left with it." She realized the older woman had never seen it before. She watched as the older woman gently picked it up, but Scarlett didn't tense. It was in good hands, with Molly.

"It's beautiful," Molly complimented. She turned it over to see the torn stitching from where something had been embroidered. Her fingers lightly traced the jagged stitching and she frowned slightly. "This is..." She stopped and Scarlett wondered what she was going to say.

"It's what?"

"The thread," Molly continued in a murmur, as if she was deep in thought. "I have some just like it. Ginny's blanket has the same threading, but this isn't my sewing." Scarlett's heart leapt into her throat. "It's much too unpracticed to be mine. But it is the very same thread, I'm sure."

"Many people can have the same thread, can't they?" Scarlett asked, confused.

"I made this thread," Molly clarified. "I dyed it as well, a pink. I always wanted a little girl, and I was stitching up a scarf for a friend, Marlene, because her cousin was expecting a girl. I saved some for if I ever had a girl, or granddaughter. It was charmed to be never fading and it was charmed to be warm." The woman ran her fingers across the thread once more. "It's both."

Scarlett glanced at the older woman. "What does that mean, Molly?"

"It means someone... most likely one of your parents, took some of my thread and used it to make this blanket..." Molly set the blanket down gently, smoothing it along the foot board. "I can't recall a time anyone's ever asked me for it, but I could be mistaken. Excuse me-"

She disappeared then, just a second before Ginny's voice could be heard asking if Harry was up there and the sound of an owl squeaking from below.

Scarlett had seen the Weasley family owl – a sickly looking creature that had difficulties flying around. Ron's own, Pig, was also a bit of a feather-head. It just wanted food, which was just what she had learned Ron wanted as well.

She didn't recognize the owl though. "Harry!" voices cried and Scarlett slowly emerged from her room to see what all the fuss was about. The black haired boy from the clock was there, his face older than the picture, but there none-the-less. His eyes were dark green, like a forest, and bright as he hugged Hermione and Ron. He awkwardly glanced at Ginny and as Scarlett entered the room, Harry threw his wall up.

"Who are you?" he asked, not rudely, but guarded.

"Scarlett Prince," Molly introduced. "She'll be staying with us for a while."

Scarlett gave a polite smile, "Hello."

"Harry," Harry introduced.

"I know," Scarlett gestured towards the three teens he knew. "I've been told all about you."

He stepped forward, offering a hand, which she took and shook. His eyes ran across her cheek, seeing the bruise from where Lucius's cane had cut across, but he didn't comment on it. "So, it's great to meet you."

"You as well," Scarlett said warmly, stepping back.

"Oh, Scarlett, dear, would you like to help me in the kitchen?"

"I'd love to!" Scarlett smiled brightly.

"Just until Severus arrives, of course."

"Of course," Scarlett laughed. She bid the others goodbye and departed into the kitchen with Molly. "What are we making, Molly?"

"I'm think... how does lasagna sound?"

"I've never had it before," Scarlett admitted. "It does sound good, though."

Molly seemed to beam at this. "You'll absolutely love it, dear. I guarantee it. Tell me, do you like cheese?"

The two women worked on the meal tirelessly, Scarlett happy to finally be in her element in this new home. She slid the lasagna into the oven while Molly began to butter the garlic bread for toasting. A crack sounded as Scarlett began to wipe off the counters.

"That would be Severus."

Scarlett felt her grip on the sponge become clammy. It was the day they'd find out her parents. Molly gently took the sponge from the girl's grip and charmed it to clean the counters before she opened up the door from the side of the kitchen.

"Good evening, Severus. Will you be joining us for dinner?"

"No," Severus said rather rudely. Molly seemed as though it was the normal response.

"Very well. I expect Scarlett for dinner, Severus."

"And she'll be here for it," Severus snapped at the woman. Molly rolled her eyes, but moved to put the garlic bread onto a few hot pans for the oven. Severus was dressed in his usual black robes, his hands hanging limply at his sides. "Come, we haven't all day, Scarlett."

"Yes, sir," Scarlett squeaked, her nervousness showing. She was very eager to know who her parents were, but nervous as to what she'd find. She didn't want to be disappointed. She didn't know how she could be disappointed. Any name was better than no name. He nodded to her and they began to walk towards a small sitting room attached to the dining room.

"This is a formal tea room," Severus stated. "For if there's a Minister visiting. We won't be disturbed here."

Scarlett nodded to this and bit her lip as she spotted the potion from Grimmauld Place's kitchen resting on a stone table. "How will this work, sir?"

"I will take a vial of your blood," the man with black, black eyes stated. "I will then pour it into the cauldron and stir it for fifteen minutes. In that time, the potion will dry up until there is nothing but a piece of parchment inside."

Scarlett bit her lip in wonder, "That can happen? A substance change from one molecular structure to another?"

"You've been reading advanced books again," Severus observed with a hint of a smile on his face.

Scarlett giggled, shrugging. "I've had too much time on my hands. I've been studying fourth year all morning and needed to take a break."

"I expect to hear you're getting eight hours of sleep."

"Of course, sir," Scarlett smiled brightly. "Molly checks to make sure I'm asleep and takes my books. It seems someone's expressed your concern with her."

"It's not concern," he explained. "Rather a … a feeling of warning on your health."

"So you did tell Molly?" Scarlett pressed. She rather enjoyed how they seemed to be becoming closer friends as the days wore on. She hadn't been able to be so free and able to laugh as much as she was able to with Severus. He knew just how to get her out of her shell. She rather enjoyed lessons with him. It was always a learning experience.

"Of course, I did."

She frowned at that, "Well... Perhaps I should feign sleep."

"There are easy spells to test if one is asleep."

She didn't know if that was true or if he was just threatening her, but she let it drop. "My blood," she reminded him. She held out her palm. "Where do you need to take it from?"

He grasped her hand, pulling out his wand. "Your palm will do." A vial was placed under her palm and he pointed his wand at the edge of her skin. "This will hurt."

"Whenever you're ready," Scarlett said quietly. She didn't like being hurt, but this was for a better cause. She could find out who it was that had left her to the Malfoys. She had never been so close before. If she didn't sacrifice something, she'd never get anywhere.

It did hurt. She expected a slight sting, but tears sprung into her eyes instantly as he drew the wand against the seam of her palm, between her life line – according to her divination books – and she watched as the crimson liquid pooled before falling into the vial below. Once he finished the incision, he gently turned her hand to the side and let the blood flow more steadily.

"Just a moment longer," Severus stated quietly.

"Okay," she said faintly. She stared at the liquid as it pooled and watched as the glass filled slowly until it was at the rim. Severus turned her hand back so the palm was facing him and drew his wand backwards along the incision. It healed itself, as though it had never been broken skin, and she saw a faint white scar across her palm. One of the many she had. Severus handed her a small handkerchief to rid of the blood and she did so, casting a small scorgify, and watching the blood disappear.

Severus then took the vial of her blood and tipped it into the cauldron. It began to smoke, turning a dark red in color, and Scarlett leaned forward in interest as Severus began to stir.

"I thought Professor Dumbledore was arriving with Harry," Scarlett said suddenly.

"Why do you sound disappointed?"

"I just wished to meet him, is all," Scarlett admitted quietly. "I've heard how great a wizard he is."

"He's a fool that believes everything he does is for the greater good," Severus stated sharply. "He may seem great and do great things, but at the expense of others."

Scarlett processed things. "So he's bad?"

"No."

"But he's like the Dark Lord," Scarlett concluded. "He does things to benefit himself?"

"He does things to benefit the general population, not save as many lives as he can."

Scarlett didn't know if this was a good idea of a man to have as Headmaster, then. "Oh... But he's not... well, he's not mean, is he? Like, he won't tell me I can't go to Hogwarts?"

"You'll go to Hogwarts," Severus said firmly. "He doesn't have that power, first of all. Secondly, he is not a mean man. He's more light-hearted than the kindest of people can bear, let alone me."

"I think you're a kind person," Scarlett admitted. "You didn't have to teach me anything, but you did."

"The Dark Lord ordered me to, otherwise I'd have never met you."

"See? You can be kind if you wish." Her eyes never wavered from the depths of the cauldron. "He says I look like Lily Evans."

"I know."

"Why is that? I thought her only child was Harry."

"It is. We'll see why that is in a moment. You could be her sister's child for all we know. You just have to have a Halfblood lineage somewhere. Maybe even a pureblood father. It depends."

"Is her sister still alive?"

"Yes. She's married to a Dursley. It's where Potter resides every summer."

"And she's magical?"

"No."

"Oh." Scarlett bit her lip. It hadn't even been five minutes yet. She was silent as he stirred, watching the potion as it slowly steamed to nothing more than a crackling mess. And then Severus poured one last ingredient.

Ink.

He turned the fire off underneath and waited for the pot to cool before he took the handles and stated, "Lean back."

She did so. As he turned the cauldron over, a single hard disk of solution came out. A solution that had solidified the ink into the cracks... As she watched it seemed to shrink even further until it was a single piece of parchment.

"Go on," Severus encouraged as he placed the cauldron beside it. "Read it."

She took the parchment hesitantly, her heart hammering and her hands shaking. She scanned her eyes down the paper, taking in the names. "If there is a gray name, what does that mean?"

"They're dead," he stated gently. She swallowed, reading the two names above her carefully, and then once more. Her names darted to her own name, seeing lines going every which way. The line leading from her name down, however, made her eyes flicker up. It was dark black. Her fingers traced it and she winced as the ink smudged, making it illegible. But it was black.

Relief filled her and she glanced over the parchment at Severus Snape.

"Lily Evans is my mother, sir," she said carefully. Severus didn't seem surprised with this information. He leaned back in his chair and waited for her to continue. She did, eventually. She stared at the name of her father a second more before saying quietly. "Severus Snape is my father..." She glanced up at him to see he had turned pale as a sheet. "Sir-"

He snatched the parchment from her hands and read it quickly and she bit her lip, but he just seemed to be staring at his name. "That's not possible," he said. His voice was a hoarse whisper and he seemed to blink a few times to make sure it was real. "That is not possible."

He stared at her a minute, seeming to meet her eyes, before looking down at the parchment. "Very, very, very not possible."

"Can the potion be mistaken, sir?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"No... The blood is what makes the potion... valid. It can't... This isn't possible, however."

He tossed the parchment back at her. "Read it again."

She did so, but the results hadn't changed. "Sir... It has to be true."

He leaned against the back of his seat, as though the world had collapsed on him. He stared at the parchment, as if he couldn't look at her, and shook his head. "Why were you sent to the Malfoys? Why weren't you … why were you even sent t the Malfoys at all? Why couldn't Lily... They were bloody married."

"The six months in Ireland," Scarlett whispered.

His eyes flew to hers, "What?"

"The six months in Ireland," she continued. "You said she was there. Right after their wedding. What if... she was hiding it from her husband? To have the baby... me? And I have black eyes... I don't know what color eyes James Potter had, but they couldn't have been black. She probably knew she wouldn't be able to pass me off as her child-"

"You always do see a very reasonable explanation," Severus said slowly. "However, I do not recall such a time since graduation, where I was in contact with her."

Scarlett frowned. "Oh..." She glanced at the paper. The ink smudge was still drying and she glanced at her fingers to see the ink soaking into her skin. Black. All that mattered was the ink was black. "Sir..."

His eyes lifted towards her, in acknowledgment, but he said anyway, "Yes?"

"Your mother's still alive?" It was true. The ink for Eileen Prince was still very dark and she almost was curious as to what the woman was like. Tobias Snape was long dead, according to the paper. A pale gray, the same shade as her mother's. She figured it meant long dead, anyway.

"She is," he admitted reluctantly. "She lives in Manchester. A Muggle city," he added on the last bit when Scarlett gave him a confused look.

"Oh..." She wondered if the woman was like him – dark haired, brooding – or if he got that from his father. Was she light haired, then? Was she nice? Her eyes flickered to the other side of the small tree, showing that Lily Evans' parents were dead. She had suspected as much. "Everyone's dead."

"Yes, they all died in the first war, if not a little after."

"How did your father die?" she asked, glancing at him to see had had regained some color and seemed to be breathing again.

"He was murdered. The Dark Lord took care of him."

Scarlett nodded carefully and her fingers touched the still wet ink to smudge it more. The names around her own name no longer legible. She placed the parchment on the table, and folded her hands together to hide the ink marks on her fingers. "I... What happens now? The Dark Lord can't know, can he?"

"You're right, he can't," Severus stated. "If he does, he will use you as a weapon to get to Potter."

"And you'll be punished for being with Lily," Scarlett added. She stared at the parchment.

"I need to speak with the headmaster," Severus said suddenly, rising. "I have to ask him what is to happen. We could say we didn't find anything worth anything. Muggleborn, that's all."

She bit her lip, "And what would happen to me?"

He paused, sighing, "You'd go back to the Malfoys."

Her heart clenched in fear, but she kept her face blank as she stared more intently at the parchment. "You..." She didn't want to anger him. "You don't want me, you mean." Her throat felt thick with unshed tears, but she didn't cry. "You'd send me back to them."

But he was no longer listening. He was already standing and leaving the room, muttering to himself. The parchment clutched in his hand with a swift snatch. His apparation echoed behind her.

She didn't know why she felt like crying, until she realized she was disappointed. Not in the people that were her parents, but the fact that Severus had said he'd return her to the Malfoys. She felt sick. She was going to be sick.

She rushed from the room, flying past Molly who gave a cry of surprise, and up the stairs to where she remembered passing a bathroom. Her hair was breezing past her in a streak of flames and as she shut the door behind her, she felt like she was going to hyperventilate. Her breath was leaving her in pants and she felt on the verge of panic. She sank to the ground beside the tub and tears bubbled over.

Tears of joy and tears of sorrow.

She wasn't wanted. She hadn't been wanted all her life and the one hope she had for the last few weeks was that she'd find someone that had to love her – someone that had to care for her and be there for her. The one person she had left... and he left her. He left and she wasn't ever going to be free again. This was probably her last hour free. After all, how long would it take for him to talk to Dumbledore?

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting her sobs. "Scarlett? Dear, are you alright?"

She tried to suck in a breath, to respond normally, but found it physically impossible. "No..." she said between sobs. "No, I'm not..." It was the most honest statement she had ever made in her life.

Molly opened the door to the bathroom and gently gathered the sobbing girl into her arms, promising her she'd be alright - but Scarlett didn't think she ever would. If she went back to the Malfoys... She would most certainly not be alright.


	8. Chapter 8

Severus returned just as Molly enlisted the twins to cheer the blubbering ex-slave up. They seemed surprised to see her so upset and offered the girl a full bottle of firewhiskey. She didn't know what the liquid was, but she took a sip, choking on the contents as it burned her throat.

"What is this?" she asked after her coughing had subsided.

"Firewhiskey," they repeated together.

"Alcohol for the sorrows," one of them said. She didn't know which one.

"Alcohol for the pain," the other one agreed. She sat at the pillows of one of their beds, her legs tucked to her chest and bottle hanging from her hands resting on her knees. She wondered, briefly, what Severus would think of her in the possession of alcohol. He had said his father drank alcohol and abused him from it...

She felt like she was betraying him as she took another sip, this time not coughing. Her head felt light though and she wondered if that was supposed to happen.

"So why are you so upset?" one asked, taking a seat a few feet from her and leaning against the wall.

She felt tears build in her eyes as she remembered the last words he had said. "You'd go back to the Malfoys." She took yet another sip, this one longer than the others, and making her throat burn. "I know who my parents are."

"Well, that's good news, yeah?" the other twin, on the other bed, remarked.

"My mother is dead," Scarlett said quietly. "My father wants to send me back to the Malfoys."

"Well that's not going to happen if we could stop it," the twin closest to her declared.

"Yeah, we'll sent a bludger straight at the git that told that to you-"

"Severus is my father," she admitted quietly. "It's not a bad thing. He's quite nice to me... But he doesn't want me... That's why I'm upset."

"He was going to send you back there?" the farthest twin gasped. "Why, I thought he was a slimey git, but-"

"-that just takes it a step too far-"

"Too far indeed!"

She giggled and sipped the bottle again. The twins began to tell her all the ways they planned to get their revenge on Severus and she giggled helplessly with each one the more she drank. By midnight, the bottle was empty, and the twins were howling with laughter as they devised a plan they thought brilliant. Molly had let the twins bring her her dinner and eat it in the twins room, though they warned her they couldn't get crumbs in their bed.

She was still drunk as she sat in their window, Fred at the other side and sharing a blanket with her. Her cheek rested against the warm glass and she stared at the moon.

"I've always wondered if my parents were looking at the same moon," she admitted. "When I was little, I'd always look at the moon and think, 'that moon is visible throughout the world'."

"And now?"

"He didn't even glance at it, did he?" Scarlett asked quietly, her throat clogging with the need to cry. "He just... he just did everything as though I didn't exist. He insisted the results were wrong."

"Who'd have thought him and Evans, huh?" the other twin, on the floor, remarked.

The door burst open and she jumped, jabbing her elbow against the glass of the window and frowning at the pain, but she still hardly felt anything. Her eyes lazilly moved towards the door to see Severus Snape standing there, looking very angry.

"I'd have thought you two would be more responsible than to get her drunk."

"Mum told us to cheer her up!" the twins defended themselves at the same moment. Scarlett giggled at them and she fumbled to get the blanket off, but ended up nearly falling. Fred took her arm before she fell.

"Thanks." She finally stood and strode over to Severus, pointing her finger at him. "What do you want with me? You can't tell me what to do! You wanted to get rid of me-"

"This was a very irresponsible thing to do."

Her eyes widened at the blatant harsh tone of his voice. "I..." She felt the tears coming. "I'm sorry!"

"Now look what you've done!" one of the twins snapped.

"We need to go to the Headmaster."

"Why doesn't she sleep first?" another twin remarked, taking her arm and pulling her back a few steps. Scarlett stumbled though, and nearly sprawled on the floor. She had a feeling she was going to regret the consumption of alcohol, but she didn't think she cared right now.

"Why is she drunk?"

"How about because after you ran out, saying you were going to take her to the Malfoys, she got upset and locked herself in the bathroom. Mum coaxed her out and put her in our care to cheer up. And we did so, until you came along," they explained. Her head was spinning so she didn't know who exactly said it.

"Scarlett, we need to leave now-"

"I really don't think I can make it anywhere," she admitted out loud, stumbling a bit as her balance teetered.

"Six o'clock in the morning. I want her ready to go to Hogwarts," Severus threatened the two men.

"Aye, aye, sir," they saluted. Scarlett giggled at the scene and fell onto the bed, giggling more.

"Aye, aye," she repeated, moving her hair from her face.

When she awoke the next morning, it was not yet dawn, but her head was killing her. She was in an unfamiliar room, the sound of snoring all around her. She rose carefully, clutching her head with one hand, and spotted the two twins sprawled at the feet of her bed, a bottle of firewhiskey in each of their hands. She moved slightly, trying to remember what happened last night. She found she couldn't. All she knew was she had been upset after Severus had run off and Molly had comforted her and told the twins to – ah, yes, she had drunk the entire bottle of firewhiskey. For never drinking alcohol, she supposed that was a good round she did, but she was seriously regretting it.

She stumbled from the room, seeing that the twins were still fast asleep, and sheilding her eyes from the dim lamps throughout the house, found her bedroom. She was about to open the door when a throat cleared behind her.

She gasped, spinning around and her free hand, which was reaching for the doorknob, flew to her wand in her pocket. It was Severus though, not looking very pleased. "Come."

"I'm sorry?" she asked, confused. Her throat felt dry, perhaps from all the crying she had done. "I thought... I thought you didn't want anything to do with me."

An eyebrow raised, he spoke, "And what gave you that assumption?"

"You left," she said faintly, tears building in her eyes as she traveled, once more, to the memory. "You were devising a plan to send me back to the Dark Lord, as a Muggleborn-"

"Yes, and you seemed to agree with that plan."

She stiffened her jaw to keep from crying. "Where are we going now, then?"

"Dumbledore's office. He'd like to talk to you about something." Her heart began to beat furiously, then. She thought she might burst with all the mood swings she was going through.

"What does he need to discuss with me? We've never met-"

"You're about to," he stated simply. "Grab my arm."

She did so, her breath leaving her in worried, but quiet, pants. She didn't want to go to the Malfoys. She didn't want to at all.

The apparation led them to a small village, but Scarlett wasn't given much time to look around. It was chilly here, the harsh wind whipping through the street and making her shiver as she was wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and jeans. Severus pushed her into a small shop, Hogs Head, and he greeted the man behind the bar with a polite nod, but glare in his eyes.

"You're here early, Snape," the man gruffly replied.

"I haven't time for chit-chat, Aberforth," Severus replied coldly. Severus's pale hand reached for a single dirty glass and he pressed it into Scarlett's hand. Scarlett glanced at the gray haired man, finding his hard eyes a strange comfort. He had a very long beard as well, bushy, and looked as though he hadn't chopped it in a while.

She gasped suddenly as she felt a spinning sensation and she was moving, not on her own accord, nor to any side, but up. She felt like she was soaring into the air, her hair flying about her in the wind, and she kept her eyes firmly shut. She didn't know if she liked this sensation very much.

All too quickly, she was dropped harshly on the ground, feeling her bones ache in protest as she hurriedly scrambled to her feet, glancing around worriedly, but it wasn't the Manor. It was a warm stone room with old artifacts everywhere. Portraits of people she had never seen before were on the wall, still asleep. She didn't blame them. It was hardly dawn.

Her head was killing her now, at the sudden movement, and she clutched it tightly, her eyes staying firmly on the ground.

"You must be Scarlett," an old, withering voice spoke from abit above her. Scarlett jumped, her wand tight in her grasp, as she turned in the direction of it. Severus was already approaching him, taking a seat in a rather large chair. The man that had spoken looked as old as his voice. He had nearly white hair liked the Malfoys, though his was from old age. Half-moon spectacles rested on his cheek bones, near the middle of his nose, and his bright blue eyes behind them were much too young and mischievous to be his own. But a certain wisdom hung within the blue depths, aging him even more at the same time. Her eyes moved apprehensively to his robes to see them a periwinkle color. Surely someone that wears periwinkle isn't harmful. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

Scarlett looked around them once more, loving the room. She couldn't possibly imagine what the rest of the place looked like. "Thank you... sir," she admitted quietly, taking a few steps towards them. "It's so very great to finally meet you. Everyone's told me such great things."

"Please, take a seat. You flatter me, my dear. I'm Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster here," the elderly man gestured to the seat opposite of Severus and Scarlett approached it, sitting carefully. "I must say, you look almost exactly like your mother. But you have your father's eyes."

Scarlett bit her lip, folding her hands on her lap. "That's why we're here, I'd assume, sir, correct?"

"Has Severus not told you?" Albus Dumbledore asked curiously. He glanced at the brooding man, throwing a silent tantrum in his chair. Scarlett took that moment to glance at Severus as well. "I have no doubt your brewing was incorrect, Severus. I trust the results to be correct."

"I've told you, Albus, it's not possible," Severus spat. "There is a mistake."

"Perhaps," the headmaster stated, as though he had already pointed this out to Severus before, "this is just an event you do not recall taking place."

"I would have remembered if I had spoken to Lily!" Severus ground out, glaring at the Headmaster. She had never see him so angry before, and Scarlett was almost terrified of him. "I would have known if she had gotten pregnant with my child! She was married to Potter, you fool! She is Potter's child, not mine-"

"Unless the encounter was erased from your mind," Albus interrupted easily. Scarlett's dark gaze traveled to Albus, amazed at how he seemed so calm in this situtation. Severus was shouting at him, for Merlin's sake. "Would you mind if I had access to your mind, Severus?"

"I want answers," Severus spat as a response.

"And I will get them." Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape stared into each other's eyes for a moment and Scarlett wondered briefly what they were doing, until Albus broke away and shuffled a few papers on his desk. "It is as I suspected. You have no recollection of the event. It has been erased. There are spots in your mind."

"How do you know?" Scarlett asked, curiously. "It is possible to access another person's mind?"

"I forget how little you've been exposed to our world," Albus apologized. "I have just performed legimency on your father." Severus tensed at the word father. "It allows me to view any memory he cannot block from me."

"And you can block memories just as easily?" she asked, fascinated. A smile was teasing her lips and she leaned forward in interest.

"Blocking memories is much harder," Severus ground out. "You must be skilled in Occulmency to know how to do so." Scarlett looked ready to ask another question, but he spat at Albus instead, "Can you restore it? I cannot do that myself, you fool!"

Scarlett shrank back in her chair, shocked by his blatant disrespect for this elderly man. Scarett's gaze dropped to the folded hands in her lap.

"He frightens you," Albus observed.

Scarlett shook her head, "N-No, sir... I've never seen him angry before, is all, sir... I didn't think he got angry, you see. There are people like that-"

She looked up to see that Severus's anger was now gone and he was staring at the jar of a yellow looking candy, his fists clenched on the arms of the chair.

"Yes, he does seem to be a very well collected character, does he?" the Headmaster asked. Scarlett nodded carefully.

"To even get close to Lily would have compromised my position."

"Yet, you still begged the Dark Lord to spare her life."

"It did little good," Severus spat once more, his eyes flashing dangerously as he gazed at the Headmaster. There was silence a moment and Scarlett felt the need to break it.

"Sir, why was I sent to the Mafloy family?" Scarlett asked the Headmaster. "You were close to Lily Potter, were you not? Surely you knew about me."

"I did," the Headmaster admitted. Scarlett's eyes flickered up in surprise, to meet the blue eyes of the old man. Severus, too, seemed surprised by the admission. "Your mother, after you were born, asked that you be put into capable hands. I would have sent you to the Weasley's, that was the plan, because you looked so much like them, but when I saw your eyes..." Scarlett lowered her eyes carefully, wondering if she should hate her eyes. They had put her in this predicament. "You would not have fit into the Weasley family. A glamour would have worn off."

"So you placed me with the Malfoys," Scarlett concluded.

"No, actually. I actually tried to place you with a few Muggle families, into an Orphanage, but something about them all wouldn't let me." He let out a very heavy sigh, as if admitting this was making him a few years older. "The Malfoys were a last resort. I fully expected them to take you in as a child of their own-"

"They obviously didn't!" Severus roared.

"All the Malfoys received when I was left on their doorstep was a letter, telling them only my first name. If they had known my last, things may have been different, but they believed a Muggle family couldn't afford to keep me," Scarlett told Albus quietly. "They treated me like I was a Muggle because they had no idea what I was. I was a Muggle to them. I still am..."

"You didn't leave her in capable hands in the slightest," Severus snapped, standing. He slammed his hands down on the mahogany desk, leaning over to give Albus Dumbledore a very hateful glare. "You, over anyone, should know how the Malfoys treated Muggles."

"Yes, yes, I regret the decision," Dumbledore insisted. "I do believe, however, that they have shaped you into a well rounded person. And besides," he reasoned. "Your mother wished for you to never learn of your true parents. She feared what would happen if Voldemort ever found out. She didn't wish for you to be in danger, nor Severus."

"Do you know what they did to her?" Severus demanded as Scarlett was rendered speechless. "Do you know how they treated her!?"

"I had hoped they would change for the greater good," Dumbledore admitted, his eyes never leaving Scarlett's own.

"The greater good," Scarlett repeated quietly. Severus had warned her about the greater good. He would hurt minor people in order to save the general population. She had been a minor person. She was always a minor person.

Her very mother knew it was dangerous, the world they were in, and had requested she be safe. But the Headmaster hadn't done that, instead he had taken her to a house that beat her and forced her to be a slave.

"She should have been taken to the Weasleys!" Severus spat at the Headmaster. "Glamours can easily be restored! She could have lived happily. She could have grown up like a normal child! Give the Weasleys some sort of compensation! But no-" Severus slammed his hands down on the desk once more. "You take her to the blondest and grayest of eyed family in all of Britain!"

"If you'll please calm down," Albus spoke gently, but Severus had it.

"I will not calm down!" Severus growled. "What sense had you that she'd be better off there?"

Scarlett felt her vision get blurry with tears. She had been so close to a family that would have appreciated her, that would have loved her. It was all taken from her because the Headmaster had 'hoped' the Malfoys would change. They never would change, not even if the Dark Lord threatened their lives. Her mouth felt dry and she felt as though she was going to cry, yet again. She hadn't cried so much in almost a year.

"I'd like to leave, please," Scarlett said quietly into the silent room. "Please, sir."

"It's not that simple, my dear," Albus sighed. Scarlett glanced up, hastily wiping the tears away before they saw. They did anyway. "You'd have to return to the Malfoys if they were to not know about Lily and Severus." Scarlett's lip trembled, but she pressed them together tightly, to hide it. "You'd be returned as a slave."

"They'd kill her," Severus reasoned. Now he was telling her she wasn't to go? Now he was defending her? "They'd treat her worse than if she were to stay."

"And then what do you suggest, Severus?"

Severus moved back suddenly, waving his arms. "Anything? Out of everything you believe in, you'd send a teenage girl into slavery? Just like that?"

"The greater picture requires-"

They argued back and forth, but Scarlett had already resigned to her fate. She was just born for slavery. She had always been a slave, why should that change? She got her fifteen minutes of freedom. Her fifteen minutes of joy. She was alive now, that counted, right? It was easy to slip back into the role of servant. Her gaze on the floor, she waited for her next command.

"You can't do that!" Severus roared yet again. "She's a human being! She's not an elf! She's not a piece of property! She's my daughter!" Scarlett was oddly touched at the admission, and that he was defending her. It was a futile battle, though. "You'd send her back, knowing what they did to her? I've seen the way she was. I took her to the Order myself. She was so skinny, I could see her bones. There were scars all over her arms and legs. She was inches from death, filthy, weak. She could hardly keep down a proper sized meal. She didn't even eat it all. You'd send her back to that?"

"There is no choice, unless you wish to tell the Dark Lord yourself."

There was silence a moment before Severus stated, "If I must."

Scarlett felt dizzy. He couldn't be hurt. He was her friend, first and foremost. He had said they were. "I... I just-"

"What do you want, Miss Snape?" Albus asked, noticing her speak for the first time since the argument had sprung out.

Scarlett swallowed, a breath leaving her as she tried to brave herself up. "If Master will have me back, I must go back to him. Master will be very upset with me. Refusing to go back into servitude will only anger him and Master isn't..." Scarlett winced as she tried to remember. Her words were soft, but perfectly enunciated.

"Lucius isn't what?" Severus pressed.

"Master isn't forgiving when he's angry," Scarlett admitted. "He does not like to be told no to, you see. I do not wish to anger him further than what I have already done with my absence."

"Do you want to stay with the Weasleys, Scarlett?" the Headmaster asked. Scarlett was quiet, not looking up from the floor. Her shoulders were straight and her hands properly folded in her lap. Just as she was taught. "Do you?"

"I fear if I were to stay with the Malfoys, I will meet my end by Master's wand. If I were to stay with the Weasleys, I will meet my end by the Dark Lord's wand. I do not wish to do, but I'd rather die doing what is right than what is wrong."

"Look at me, my dear girl," Albus said carefully. Scarlett's head snapped up immediately and Severus flinched at the blank sheet that was her face. No emotion could be read.

"Don't give her orders like she's your servant," Severus snapped. He turned to Scarlett, making the girl's eyes move to him. "Do you want to stay with the Malfoys, then? Or the Weasleys."

She dropped her gaze again, biting her lip. "I mustn't say," she hesitated. "My opinion matters not. The decision has already been made and it is a decision I must obey. That is my sole duty."

"To obey?" Albus asked, curiously. Scarlett nodded slowly, pressing her lips together to keep them from trembling. They already were, but she didn't know if they could see. She hoped they didn't. "My dear girl, can you please answer me truthfully? Without giving me a cryptic answer?" Scarlett glanced up, nodding slowly. "Do you truly want to go to the Malfoys?"

She should have expected the question. When it did, she flinched slightly, making her answer very obvious. She still felt the need to speak. "I do not wish to, but I must," she answered him carefully. "It is my duty as my Master's servant. I should be no where else but Master's home doing my duties."

She dropped her gaze again, her hands free from the grip she had on them and one traveled to her shoulder protectively, but it looked to the two wizards that she was just rubbing the crook of her neck subconsciously.

Severus's feet clapped against the wood of the room and he grabbed her arm sharply, jerking her to her feet. She gasped, waiting for him to apparate her to Master, but he didn't. Instead, he moved her so her back was facing the Headmaster and jerked the side of her t-shirt so that her shoulder was exposed. He, then, moved her hair to the side and exposed a rather nasty looking brand.

Her hand dropped from her shoulder as he released her in shock. The white M, burned into her skin years ago, was very prominent. She knew there were other scars on her back from other tortures, forever marring her skin and never going away. Her gaze, yet again, dropped to the ground and she closed her eyes, feeling the tears building. "Did they whip you?" Severus growled.

"I used to get in trouble a lot when I was younger," Scarlett answered quietly. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have accidentally bumped into the silver. I was such a clumsy child-"

"And the brand, my dear?" Albus asked carefully.

"I was six," Scarlett answered in a whisper. She could be heard clearly in the dead silent room. "I was officially named a servant in the Malfoy household. Mistress was forbidden to speak to me afterwards. She had been caught teaching me the alphabet." Scarlett swallowed and recited hollowly, "Until death, I will serve the generations of the Malfoy name."

"They branded you at six," Severus murmured, horrified. "Albus, we simply cannot-"

"Severus," Albus spoke. "I suggest you take the girl to where we discussed. She will be fine. She is alive, afterall, isn't she?"

Scarlett closed her eyes tightly, the tears spilling over in fear. They'd kill her. She'd beg for death before they'd kill her. They'd torture her-

Severus gently pulled up the shoulder of her shirt and let out a breath. "Albus, I will not let her go back to them. I protest this."

Scarlett turned once she drew in a breath, "I do appreciate you fighting to keep me at the Weasleys, but it is too late to fight for me. I simply am not meant to be with them... I will not fit into Hogwarts, we all know that... I will not fit in anywhere but servitude-"

"Albus," Severus insisted. "Please. I'll beg you now just like I did for Lily to go into hiding. You must rethink this."

There was silence and Scarlett wondered if he was thinking it over. She didn't look up though. She just felt the few tears that had escaped trickle down her face and splash onto the floor. She expected her future to be different. She always had. She expected to be an old woman, dreamed of it, really, and living in a small cottage with a few grandchildren coloring in front of the fire, and a husband reading to her from a book while she knitted.

She'd never have it now. She'd never... never be free.

"Scarlett?"

Scarlett glanced up quickly, her tears exposed to both of their gazes. She kept her gaze on her father, who had spoken to her. "Yes?" she asked.

"What was the ink splotch under your name?" he asked, the parchment in his hands yet again. She dropped her gaze to the parchment, like she was trying to remember.

"I had accidentally touched Harry's name and it smeared. I wiped the ink off under my name," Scarlett lied.

"I ask for you to tell the truth," Severus said gently. "Did Lucius Malfoy ever force you to do something you weren't comfortable with?"

Scarlett dropped her gaze to her hands. "I'd never want to clean the ballroom, sir. Every Friday he'd want me to clean it. He claimed we'd have a ball that following Saturday. We never did, sir, but he still made me clean it. I wasn't comfortable with that. I should have been cleaning other things-"

"That wasn't what I meant."

She knew what he meant. "I do not know what you mean, sir."

"Severus, take her back."

Scarlett winced, wondering if she said anything else, it'd have stopped her from going to the Malfoys. She wasn't going to start being selfish now. She had already received much in the last few days.

"Very well," Severus sighed. He passed her the parchment and held a hand out to her, for her to take.

He clutched her hand tightly as she offered it and then there was a feeling of apparation. Her breath left her in a pant as they landed in a cold breeze, once more. Her eyes stayed closed though, praying when she opened them, she wasn't going to be at the Malfoy Manor.

"Scarlett?"

She opened them warily, seeing nothing but Severus's face before her. "Can you answer me truthfully, now? Did Lucius force you to do something? Did you have a child?"

She swallowed, "No... I told you, I smeared Harry's name on accident."

He still didn't believe her, but nodded anyway. As he stepped aside, he gestured down the path. "You should be in time for breakfast."

Her eyes widened and she looked from Severus to the Burrow. Relief flooded through her and she glanced at Severus, a smile appearing on her face. "I don't have to go back?"

"No, you never will," Severus promised her. "You will have to see the Dark Lord if he requests, but you'll never be a slave for Lucius Malfoy ever again."

She felt tears spring into her eyes, for a very different reason. She wanted to hug him, she was so happy. A smile formed on her lips and she hid it with a hand over her mouth, to keep the sob in. "Really?" she whispered.

He nodded, gesturing, once more, to the Burrow. "Go."

She threw her arms around him so suddenly, she didn't even remember doing it. She clutched him tightly and then pulled away, blushing. "Thank you so much. Oh, thank you!"

"I don't want you going back into that creepy slave mode again," he warned.

"Never," she promised, her tone light and absolutely ecstatic. "Oh, never, I promise."

"Get to breakfast," he intructed and before she could thank him yet again for not taking her to the Malfoys, he apparated away in a cloud of black. She watched the smoke disappear into the air before she began a silent and lonely trek back to the Burrow. She didn't mind though. She was free. Free as she could be until the war was over, anyway.


	9. Chapter 9

When Scarlett reached the Burrow, it was as if she hadn't left. Molly was setting plates and smiled at Scarlett when she came in. "So, you're staying?"

Scarlett nodded, her eyes filling with tears and she hugged Molly Weasley tighter than she had ever hugged anyone in her life. Molly hugged her back, shocked that the young girl seemed to excited beyond reason. Scarlett wasn't excited, though. She was just relieved. She hugged Molly until she heard footsteps coming. She pulled away quickly, sniffling. "Sorry, I'm just... So happy."

"You aren't going back," Molly told the girl gently. "Now, why don't you go wake up Ginny and Hermione? I'm sure they'll want their breakfast."

"Okay," Scarlett agreed and bounced from the room. Not even ten minutes later, she was crammed around the table, two hungover twins on either side of her, their shoulders touching her own and jostling her as they reached for some form of breakfast. They heartilly filled up her plate if it ever got low, despite her feeling quite full already. Harry was across from her, but she didn't think he knew they were siblings. She caught herself staring at him, trying to see if there was any feature they shared. Anything that would give away their siblinghood. She couldn't spot anything.

"Harry," Hermione stated once breakfast was close to being finished. Scarlett had managed to convince the twins she didn't need a third helping of toast. Scarlett looked up curiously, however, as there seemed to be a pause. "I was wondering if you could begin to help me train Scarlett." Train her? "She needs to get caught up with the rest of our class."

Harry swallowed the toast he was chewing on and glanced at Scarlett, who reddened slightly. She didn't want them to help her. She wanted them to be kind to her and that was all. "You don't have to if you don't want to," Scarlett insisted as he paused, thinking things over. "Severus said he'd give me private lessons at Hogwarts-"

"I can teach you," Harry insisted, giving a kind smile Scarlett's way. "I just don't know what you know."

"Oh, not very much," she admitted. "I've... I've learned the spells, I've just never applied them, really."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I can teach you what you need to know. You'd probably learn more from Hermione-"

"Nonsense, you're a fantastic teacher," Hermione insisted. "Right, Ron?"

"Oh, yeah," Ron agreed. "He taught the entire grade."

Scarlett didn't know if that intimidated her or not. She had no idea if what her lack of learning was would make Harry not want to teach her after he saw it. "When do you want to start?" Harry asked her.

"Whenever you wish," Scarlett replied honestly. "I don't want to inconvenience-"

"Nonsense, if they aren't doing something productive, they'll be less likely to get into trouble," Molly insisted. Scarlett glanced at what was called the Golden Trio to see Ron and Harry  blush lightly. They must have gotten in trouble often. 

"We can start just before lunch," Harry stated, plucking at a piece of bacon. 

"So we can finish reading up on a few things right after breakfast," Hermione insisted. "I'm thinking of-"

"Oi, Granger, it's the summer. We're not even in school anymore," one of the twins said from her left.

"I don't want to hear about school because of that," the other stated on her right. 

"We have to head to the shop, Mum. Get it ready for opening this weekend," the twins spoke at the same time, hopping up and bowing to the table before apparating with a pop. Scarlett felt a bit alone with the two empty seats beside her, but finished the rest of her plate - immensely grateful the twins hadn't put more food onto it - before excusing herself and taking the plate to the kitchen. Hermione joined her a second later and together they took to their bedroom and began to study once more. 

She had completely finished her fifth year work by the time Harry and Ron collected her to go practice in the garden. She knew nothing about her half-brother, just that he would be the one to kill the Dark Lord one day. She wasn't worthy of training with him.

"So, have you ever trained in Defense before?"

"No, sir," she answered, biting her lip as she clutched her wand tightly. "Severus never had time nor space."

"Very well," Harry nodded. "And no 'sir.' You can call me Harry."

"Er, alright, Harry," Scarlett said hesitantly. He widened his stance a few paces from her and Scarlett found herself mimicking him. 

"Now, I think we should start with basic defense before we get into offense." Harry lifted his wand and Scarlett, again, repeated. "Now, you said you knew the spells but haven't practiced them. So, I'll attack and you use instinct to defend. I apologize if I knock you down a few times. I don't mean to give you bruises, if I do." Scarlett felt her eyes go wide. What? She had no idea how to defend. Bruises? Was this torture? She thought she was supposed to be learning to defend herself!

"You can do it, Scarlett," Ron  cheered. The two boys glanced at each other and seemed to have a silent conversation before Harry relaxed slightly. 

"Ready?" Harry asked. Scarlett hesitantly nodded. "Expelliarmus!"

"Stupify!" she gasped out in a quick breath and flicked her wand with the wand motions Hermione had taught her. A quick flick of the wand was all she needed for duelling, since she knew the magic already. Even Severus had agreed that once she got the hang of using spells, she'd no longer need to do as elaborate of wand motions. It was just to help learn. Harry flew back in surprise and landed hard on the grass as Scarlett dodged the spell sent towards her. 

Ron immediately began to laugh as Harry fixed his glasses. "Oh!" Scarlett gasped, rushing towards him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" Would he hurt her for hurting him? She offered a hand to help him up and he brushed himself off. "I didn't meant to hurt you, I-"

"That was fantastic!" Harry grinned at her, not angry in the slightest. "You have great reflexes."

"Thanks," Scarlett said shyly. "Was that the right spell?"

"There could have been a lot of spells. Now, try a different. I think you have that one down."

"I don't want to hurt you-"

"I'm used to it," Harry shrugged. "You can't do that much harm. And I can protect myself if I need to. So, let's keep going."

Scarlett nodded and went back to her position and barely had time to react when Harry shot spells at her again. "Protego!" she cried. The shield went up and blocked the spells with a crack. She let out a disbelieving gasp and was ready when Harry shot more at her. She wasn't the greatest and he did get her wand a few times, as well as knock her flat on her back, but she sprung up - feeling relatively exhilerating with excitement - and was ready for more. She knew she'd have bruises, and the physical exercise was more strenuous than she was used to, but she figured she'd have to get used to it if she was ever going to get better.

"Bloody hell, Harry. You okay, mate?" Ron asked suddenly. The black haired wizard stopped fighting and was panting slightly as he leaned forward, his arms on his knees. 

"Fine, Ron. Wow, you really are a quick learner." Scarlett approached him worriedly. "I'm fine. Let's take a break. We can keep working after lunch, if you want."

"Yeah, as soon as I can sit down and get some water," Scarlett admitted.

Harry laughed and Ron turned to her. "Ginny wanted you to find her once we finished. She apparently wanted to talk to you about something. No idea what though. Girls." Scarlett smiled her thanks to them both before heading inside, off to find Ginny Weasley.

The red headed girl was lounging on her bed, her legs folded behind her as she scribbled on a piece of parchment. "Oh, Scarlett!" she cried, waving the girl in. "Come take a seat."

"Ron said you wanted to talk to me before lunch."

Ginny nodded brightly and gestured to the parchment. "What do you know about boys?"

"Um..." Scarlett gave her a confused glance. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've never had a boyfriend, have you?"

"No, I don't think so."

Ginny nodded and flicked her wand so that the door shut. The action made Scarlett nervous. Was this supposed to be a private conversation? "I fancy Harry." Scarlett gave her a surprised look. She hadn't noticed. "I know that when we get to Hogwarts there will be a lot of boys... you are interested in boys, right?" Scarlett nodded. "Well, you see, they'll be interested in you, too. You're absolutely gorgeous and any guy with eyes could see that." Scarlett blushed and was about to protest but Ginny continued. "I just want to warn you that if anyone asks you to do something you aren't comfortable with, you can say no. They'll listen to you. The guys at school are good people - even if they don't act like it. There are morals... And the ghosts that roam the halls look out for students."

Scarlett nodded carefully. "You mean if they try to force me to .... do something."

"Exactly... Now, Mum wanted to give you this conversation but I insisted it'd be a lot more embarrassing, so she instead embarrassed me and had me write a list of things I needed to talk to you about," Ginny informed her, blushing lightly as she looked down at the parchment on the bed. "Have you had... sex before?"

Scarlett hesitated. "Well... Um, I mean, yes." 

"Good, so that crosses off a few things... You know how it works, all the risks, et cetera." Ginny cleared her throat. "Uh, you know contraceptive spells and potions?"

Scarlett hesitated, once more. "Not really. Is that like-"

"it makes sure you don't get pregnant," Ginny said quietly. She seemed like she truly didn't want to have this conversation, but Scarlett believed her when Ginny said that Molly would be more embarrassing. "The spell is Protego Utero." Scarlett nodded. She could remember that. "The potion..." Ginny rose from the bed and tore off a piece of the parchment, handing it to the near eighteen year old. "There. Also, um... well I'd imagine what you went through with sex at the Manor... It's not a bad thing. It can be really nice."

"I know," Scarlett said quietly. She didn't want to think about that now. Ginny seemed relieved with that and returned to the parchment. 

"Right, um... your monthly cycle."

"Narcissa talked to me about that," Scarlett admitted. "The elves told me things too."

"Right, okay..." Ginny bit her lip and ticked off a few more things. "Alright, boys. Let's just say the boys at my school are ... well, they're different depending where you look. Slytherin boys tend to be arrogant and like to start fights. Usually with Harry. Then there's the arrogant guys in other houses. They're not all bad. Some just have a big ego and a lot of girls like to stroke it." Ginny flushed at that and glanced at the parchment. "There's really sweet guys - Neville, Dean, Seamus, Harry. That's mostly the boys in your grade that are in Gryffindor - where you'll no doubt be. Um, there's Justin, Michael, others. I'll introduce you to loads of people. I'm currently dating Dean, in your year. You'll meet him on the train. Oh! And then there's the sort of neutral type. That'd be Ron. Pretty laid back, competitive." Scarlett nodded. "Try to avoid the party crowd, and the drinkers. I'm not saying you can't, you absolutely can if you want, but since you've never gone before, try to focus on school and decide what fun you can manage with your classes. I learned that the hard way." Scarlett wanted to ask, but stopped. "What else...?"

"I have a question," Scarlett said suddenly. "Um, well, Draco... Will I see him often?"

Ginny shook her head. "No. He has potions with you, and herbology, and defense, but you won't physically be forced to be near him. I'm sure Hermione or Ron or Harry would love to be your partner in class. You won't have to go near him. You eat meals at the table with the rest of your house."

Scarlett swallowed. "How do we know I'll be in Gryffindor?"

"You're a survivor," Ginny grinned. "All Gryffindors are brave, but they always survive." Scarlett did survive. She survived eighteen years in the binds to a master, and another three weeks with sparce visits to the darkest being in the world at the moment.

* * *

She was terrified, if she was completely honest with herself. Severus had offered her no conversation or anything to distract her from her fear. Her fear of the women beyond the door being insulted by Scarlett's presence. Scarlett spoke for the first time in the twenty minute walk. "What if she hates me?"

"There's no doubt she'll ever like anyone," Severus answered. "She's not a particularly kind woman."

"Did you get that from your father, then?" Scarlett wondered aloud. Severus's snort told her that wasn't the case. "Oh, well... Is she truly horrible?"

Severus had paused outside of the woman's door with a slight apprehension clouding his face. Scarlett was just a foot behind him. "She's worse." And then he knocked. Scarlett's heart caught in her throat as she heard footsteps clipping on polished floors - Scarlett could just tell by the sound. She had heard it many times before. Scarlett took a deep breath to calm herself down, but she found she couldn't. The door opened and she couldn't see the woman because Severus was standing directly in front of her immediately, as though shielding her.

"Severus.... A little warning, perhaps, but do come in. It is best not to be hanging on doorsteps these days." The woman's voice was sharp, elegant, and much like Narcissa's own. It comforted Scarlett the same way it scared her. Surely she was kind as Narcissa. "I don't want-"

"I've brought someone," Severus stated, cutting off his mother. His voice was cold and stiff, as if he wanted anything but to be here. Scarlett hadn't forced him to come here at all. In fact, he was the one that insisted she meet his mother. He was the one that had first offered and she had been excited at the prospect. But as Severus stepped aside and Scarlett came into the woman's view, Scarlett forced herself to put on a pleasant smile. If she could appear kind, perhaps the woman would be kind back. "This is Scarlett."

"Don't tell me you've resorted to dating a student," the woman said, her lips pursed as she scrutinized Scarlett. Eileen's eyes were crinkled about the ends and her hair was graying, but it was a light brown, much like Hermione's own hair color, as it was clasped behind her neck. Her clothing was Muggle, not at all elegant like her home suggested. Nor like Severus had made it sound.

Scarlett didn't know how to respond. "I'm not a student," she began, but the woman cut her off before she could speak another word.

"Before she's arrived into school? Severus, that's highly illegal-"

Severus let out an annoyed breath. "She's my daughter, mother."

His tone was as annoyed as she had ever heard him. She glanced at Eileen Prince to see the woman pursing her lips as though she smelled something particularly fowl. "You never told me you married, Severus." Her tone suggested she didn't want to even know about Scarlett. Scarlett swallowed and glanced at Severus for an answer, but he was glowering at his mother. "I suppose you two had better come in."

She let them inside and Severus shut the door behind Scarlett, locking it tightly before he led the way through the dark hallway. Scarlett glanced about as they walked in silence, the elder woman's heels clicking on the floor. There were trinkets lining the walls, from preserved contents of animals and other creatures Scarlett didn't recognize to portraits on the walls with names Scarlett couldn't decipher. They were just so foreign looking. She doubted they were English.

"How did this happen, Severus?" Eileen asked once they reached a bright room, the sunlight shining through the room - made entirely of glass. "I thought you were a responsible boy. But to have you just show up one day out of the blue, a girl with you that you claim to be your daughter, I find this all highly unlikely. She hardly looks anything like you. More like that girl you always hung around with."

"Lily's her mother," Severus stated. He glanced at Scarlett and gestured for her to sit across from his mother. Severus then sat between them. "She's eighteen, going into her sixth year of Hogwarts due to her being held back by other circumstances that were out of our control... She just found out about magic last week."

Eileen didn't seem impressed. "An orphanage then."

"The Malfoy's slave."

"I always knew you'd be a horrible parent, Severus. Just look at your father. But for you to sell the poor girl-"

"I had no knowledge," Severus said shortly, cutting his mother off. He cleared his throat. "She wanted to meet you."

"Did she?" She had, but not like this. She wanted to be viewed as a welcomed guest. "Well, whatever for? Surely Severus has told stories."

"He's talked highly of you," Scarlett told the woman quietly. "He thought we would get along."

"Apparently not." Severus shot his mother a sharp look, but the woman didn't seem threatened in the least. Eileen leaned forward, pouring Scarlett a cup of tea. "Severus, why don't you leave us alone to talk, hmmm? I'm sure she'd feel less intimidated with you staring her down every five seconds. Biscuit, my dear?"

It took Scarlett a moment for her to realize that she was being addressed. When she did, Severus had already disappeared through the door they had come through, the scowl still on his face. "Just one, please."

Scarlett took a sip of her tea, finding it oddly refreshing. There was something about it that made her feel calm and relaxed. "It's my personal blend. It's why Severus visits me so often." She doubted Severus visited that much. Scarlett liked it all the same. Eileen continued, passing the girl a sugar biscuit. "I hope you aren't offended by my attitude."

"Not at all," Scarlett answered. "I've had to deal with horrible people in my childhood. You're really kind compared." It was the truth. The woman was kinder than Lucius or any of his Death Eater friends. She was also blunt, but Scarlett liked that about her. It meant she was honest.

"Severus never mentioned you," Eileen continued. "I had no idea you even existed."

"He didn't either," Scarlett admitted. "He was a bit shocked himself, ma'am. He only found out yesterday morning he was going to claim me."

Eileen didn't seem too surprised with this. "And just how did you end up with the Malfoys, then? They're a horrible lot. I'm glad I never associated with them. Why Severus does, I'll never know."

"Dumbledore sent me there. He thought it would be best for me."

"And Lily's daughter, too. Well, I've always thought Severus to be the type to prefer men, considering how torn up he was about Lily going off with a different bloke. He never seemed to get over her. I always figured he sought comfort in the more masculine of the genders-" Scarlett didn't know how to respond to this, so she let Eileen continue on her blabber. She seemed to do that, Scarlett noted. It wasn't all that kind, either. "I'm glad it turned out he didn't. I've always wanted grandchildren, but Severus never married. He's much too old and too involved in the Dark to get married now, of course, but there's always hope that you'll carry on the line. Many wizards petition for it, you know."

"For what?" Scarlett asked, confused.

"Why, for a Pureblood's virginity, of course. Now, you obviously aren't a pureblood, but the name is all that matters. We'll find you a good husband... I married a Mudblood and he was absolutely horrendous. Good riddance. But a halfblood for yo-"

"I don't want to marry," Scarlett cut the woman off. She let the half bitten cookie drop back onto the plate. She didn't know if she had an appetite anymore. "I'm... I'm not marriage material, I don't think."

"Why, of course you are," Eileen insisted. "You're a very pretty girl and so quiet. I can contact all of my friends from school, see if they have any young sons-"

"No, please," Scarlett returned. "I... I'm not looking to get married." She held her breath as the woman's dark, beady eyes stared at Scarlett. "It doesn't appeal to me, ma'am."

"Doesn't..." The woman scrutinized Scarlett carefully. The young girl felt like an ant under a lense - she had seen Draco torture the ants in the garden with one, his father staring his boy pridefully for it. Draco had cried when they died. "Why aren't you marriage material?"

"I've never gone to school, for starters, ma'am," Scarlett answered. She didn't want a master. From what she had seen with Lucius and Narcissa's marriage, Lucius controlled the woman that had been the only carer Scarlett had known. "I don't want a husband..." She swallowed. "I don't know the first thing about any of that stuff."

"Oh, having children is the easy part. It's just nature. Now-"

"Were you in an arranged marriage?" Scarlett returned suddenly. Eileen's eyes widened in surprise. "To your late husband, I mean. I've never heard much about you. Severus just told me the basics-"

"No, we were not," Eileen returned, her voice cold. "I escaped an arranged engagement for Tobias. My parents disapproved and thought I brought shame upon the entire house. I was the only child of the line. Since I didn't marry someone respectable, I tarnished the blood."

"Then why must I be in an arranged marriage?" Scarlett asked. "Severus never was."

"Severus fled from home when he was seventeen. I never heard from him for a few years and when he does show up, the war is over and he has a teaching position at Hogwarts." Eileen didn't seem pleased. "I never had the chance to arrange a marriage. He threw his life away with his Dark Mark."

Scarlett felt like she was grasping at straws. "But I'm not a... a good person to marry. I have nightmares and I don't know the first thing about cooking a meal or-"

"My dear, that's what elves are for. Now, are you a virgin? You must be, if you were a Malfoy slave. No boys sneaking into that house in the middle of the night." Eileen laughed at her own joke, finding the topic light.

"I don't know what that means," Scarlett answered quietly.

Eileen stopped laughing, the girl's serious expression making the joke not as funny, it seemed. Scarlett didn't think it was in the first place. There were boys at Malfoy Manor, that frequented often. Scarlett didn't see how no boys would ever sneak in in the middle of the night. They did. Mainly Death Eaters. Scarlett saw them on her trips to clean in the night, to catch up on lost time. Eileen leaned forward, her wand out. Scarlett eyed it worriedly.

"I'm not going to hurt you, my dear," Eileen said, her voice as gentle as Scarlett had ever heard it. She flicked her wand towards Scarlett, but Scarlett couldn't help but flinch, her eyes closing for only a split second, before she opened them again. The tip of Eileen's wand was a blue color. "You've had a child."

Scarlett felt her throat close in panic. "No, of course not-"

"Severus doesn't know this," Eileen observed quietly. "You don't want him to find out. You don't want anyone to find out."

"They've done so much for me," Scarlett answered immediately. "They've taken me in, when I never asked them too. They've cared for me and given me a home... I don't want them to worry about this. It was my fault-"

"This can't be your fault," Eileen returned, her voice fierce. "What did the Malfoy boy do to you?"

"Young-Draco.... he didn't do anything, I swear on that," Scarlett answered. The truth just seemed to slip out of her mouth. She had to tell someone. She had to tell this woman before her. It would feel better if she had. "I- I spilled the bucket, ma'am. I didn't mean for anyone to slip-"

"Where is the child, now?" Eileen asked the girl in a whisper. She was serious, Scarlett the most interesting thing in the room. "Do you know? Lucius is not the type to be kind-"

"Alive," Scarlett admitted quietly. "That's all I know. He was taken from me..." She felt tears in her eyes. "Severus can't know. He'd be so disappointed in me. I've already lied twice about it... I hate lying to him. He's been so kind, but... but I have to find my son, now. I have to do it myself. And I can't make Severus obligated. He shouldn't feel obligated, not that he is, but... I hate to see the Order go out of their way again. They've already taken me in, I can't ask them to take in a small child-"

Eileen poured the girl more tea and gave her another biscuit, though Scarlett wasn't finished with what she had before. "How old is he?"

"I... I don't know," Scarlett tried to count. "Just under a year."

Eileen nodded to herself. She stood and moved towards a glass cabinent, but Scarlett couldn't see the contents through the murkiness of the windows. "And that is the only child?"

"Yes."

"Don't feel bad for telling me instead of Severus. I did spike your tea with a calming draught," Eileen stated. "I also dropped a single drop of veriteserum. Not enough to make you spill your darkest secrets, but enough to make sure you're honest."

"I... I didn't even feel compelled to say something I normally wouldn't. I don't lie."

"Yet you lied to Severus about this," Eileen stated. "But I understand these aren't normal circumstances." She returned to the table with two glasses of brandy, offering one to Scarlett. The young girl took, but didn't drink. "What are your plans to get him back?"

"I don't know... I've tried spells, but..." She bit her lip, shaking her head. "They couldn't locate him. I-" She glanced at the glass of brandy. "I don't know where to even start. I don't know where Lucius took him, either-"

"Lucius took your child from you," Eileen said quietly, but as though she was in silent fury. She seemed kinder then, though, than Scarlett saw her before. "I will help you look."

"You don't need to-"

"Lucius Malfoy is nothing but a man that thinks he is the king of the world because the Dark Lord resides in his home." Eileen's sharp dark eyes turned to Scarlett. "I hope this means you'll do everything you can to ruin him in the process."

"I don't want to ruin him," Scarlett admitted. "I just want my son."

Eileen nodded after a moment of thought. "Very well. Perhaps I just want to ruin him."

"If I may ask... Were you..." Scarlett waited until Eileen pressed her to continue. "Lucius Malfoy was who you were engaged to before you married your late husband, ma'am, isn't he?"

"Of course," Eileen smirked. "You're a very bright young woman." Scarlett colored. "Another reason I left him was because he moved onto a different woman while we were still engaged. His wife now."

"Narcissa is a kind woman," Scarlett stated carefully. She didn't want to make her... her grandmother hate her, but she wanted to defend the only mother she'd ever known. "She was the woman that helped raise me... in secret, that is.."

"Oh, she is kind. Not as kind as her sister, but kind all the same."

"Bellatrix?" Scarlett felt ill. "Bellatrix isn't kind."

"Andromeda.... She married a Muggleborn a few years ago... Do you you know a Nymphadora Tonks? That's her daughter." Scarlett nodded. "She's a nearly identical copy of Bellatrix, but Andromeda received the Gryffindor traits in her family. She was  a Slytherin, of course, but her heart belonged with Gryffindor. She married a Hufflepuff. They're daughter was in Hufflepuff as well." Eileen passed Scarlett another biscuit. "Good people. I meet Andromeda every so often for tea."

Scarlett swallowed. "I don't understand why you want to help me."

"I like my son in the dark," Eileen returned. "And it is my great-grandchild, of course. I should like to meet him before I die."

Scarlett didn't like the way the woman sounded on that subject. "I don't know if we'll be able to find him. I don't even know who has him."

"He's alive and that's all that matters right now," Eileen promised. She nodded to Scarlett, sipping from her tea. "I do hope you'll continue the search, even when you're in school."

Scarlett nodded, though she had no idea how she would continue to do so. School did not seem as free-willed as the Weasleys were. She shifted in her seat. "How would I be able to find him? Where do I start?"

"The beginning, usually," Eileen admitted. "I will use some contacts to look into orphanage records. Any child under the age of one that was dropped off recently."

"A year ago," Scarlett answered. "He was taken from me last Christmas."

"Then that helps narrow it down," Eileen smiled. It wasn't right. Pinched and underused. Scarlett tried to smile back. "Do you know what he looks like?"

Scarlett swallowed. "Um... Well, he had red hair, a bit darker than mine. Like auburn. And..." She tried to remember. His eyes were... "Black eyes." Like hers. "His skin is darker, as well. Not olive, but a shade lighter, I'd say." Eileen's puzzled expression returned. Scarlett was extremely pale, much like Severus and Eileen's self. "He has a birth mark, on his foot. It's ... it's..." She didn't know how to explain it, but she had memorized it. She had to. She knew separation was a possibility and if she could escape the Manor and find him, the birthmark was all she had. Scarlett took the knife into the jam suddenly and brought it to her plate, forming a mound of what would be a birthmark, if it were on her skin. "It's ... difficult to explain, but it looks like this, on the arch of his foot. It's easily hidden." Eileen glanced from the girl to the jam. "I know it might not help much," Scarlett continued after a moment, "but that's all I remember."

Eileen's eyes darted up to Scarlett. "No. Anything you remember is great. We'll find him. Did you name him?"

Scarlett glanced away hastilly. "I wasn't supposed to-"

"That doesn't mean anything," Eileen reminded her.

"Tyler... Tyler is his name."

"No last?"

She glanced up at Eileen, tears in her eyes. "No. I'd imagine the birth records in that magical registry book would have the name, though."

"Do you... do you know who the father is? For darker skin, it couldn't be the Malfoys."

Scarlett nodded and they began to talk quietly about the topic before the door opened and an annoyed Severus stood there. Scarlett clammed up immiedately and his eyes watched her like he knew something she didn't want him to. "There is an Order meeting soon."

Scarlett stood just as Eileen did and the teen was surprised when she was given a tight hug. Eileen Prince smelled like peppermint, parchment, and strawberries, a scent that made Scarlett feel calm and confident. Eileen would help Scarlett find her son.

"I'll write to you," Eileen promised. "With what we discussed. Severus, you simply must bring her over before she leaves for school."

Severus seemed confused with the sudden change in his mother and Scarlett's apparent relaxation around the blunt woman. Scarlett said her goodbyes, thanking her grandmother for the tea and conversation, before Severus apparated her away.

"You seem to have gotten along well," Severus observed. 

Scarlett glanced at the Burrow in the distance before looking towards Severus. "We have some things in common... Thank you for taking me, there. I know you didn't want to be there."

"Did she scare you?"

Scarlett shook her head, "No, sir... She actually warmed to me after a while, though she has an intense hatred against the Malfoys we talked about. She didn't seem to like it when I defended Narcissa."

"I'd imagine she wouldn't," Severus nodded. "The Order meeting will be starting in a few hours. I believe they wanted to take you to Diagon Alley this afternoon for your books and things."

"Diagon Alley?" Scarlett questioned. "The shops?"

"Molly has been given money for you to purchase anything you require," Severus stated. "As well as anything you have a desire for. Your birthday is today, is it not?"

Her eyes widened in surprise that he remembered. "Er, yes. I didn't think you would remember."

Scarlett watched as Severus's lips turned into a smirk. He reached into his robes and offered her a box wrapped in a bright red paper. "Why would I not remember? Happy Birthday, Scarlett."

She hadn't received birthday presents ever in her life. Tears began to spring in her eyes as she took the present carefully. "You shouldn't have gotten me anything! You've already done so much-"

He simply shrugged and stated, "It was Lily's. I thought you'd like it." Scarlett glanced at the box in astonishment. "You can open it with your other things at the Burrow. Don't open it now. I'll see you at the meeting."

"Thank you, sir," Scarlett said before he could apparate away. "I mean it."

"I know you do. While you're in Diagon Alley, do not buy a familiar. It has already been taken care of. When you get on the train next week, it will be delivered to you." And he was gone. Scarlett glanced at the box and felt her insides brighten. She had never had her birthday celebrated, and if what she deduced was right, the Weasley's would be celebrating with her. And she had a surprise familiar? She nearly ran to the Burrow in her burst of happiness, excited for what the day would bring her - even if it wasn't even lunch yet.


	10. Chapter 10

Bill Weasley was easily Scarlett's favorite Weasley brother. Despite being close with the twins, when she met Bill at the birthday party Molly threw for her, she couldn't _not_ get to know him. He was the shaggy haired, fang earring brother that all of his siblings looked up to. Wildly successful in curse breaking, he taught her a few basics at his insistance when she expressed interest in the profession.

So when he handed her a letter with emerald ink on it, Scarlett read it carefully.

Scarlett Lillian Prince

Hermione, Ginny, Scarlett's Room

The Burrow

Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, England

It was her Hogwarts letter. She vowed to keep the letter for herself and scanned the list of supplies she'd need. It was all becoming quite real. Scarlett pressed her lips together to keep from squealing in excitement. When she glanced at Bill, he grinned. "Make sure you get extra parchment. I ran out just in the first month." Scarlett nodded immediately, her hand flying to her mouth in excitement, before she glanced at the letter again. A form fell from her envelope and Bill picked it up. "Have Snape sign this, too. You can visit the village with your friends."

"There's a village?" Scarlett asked confused.

"Hogsmeade," Bill informed her. "Wicked sweets shop. Don't buy too many. My first trip there, I ate so many Sugar Quills I got sick." Scarlett giggled. A very pretty blonde girl approached and sat besides Bill, a polite smile on her face. "Scarlett, this is my fiancee, Fleur. Fleur, this is basically my new sister, Scarlett."

New sister? The term made Scarlett absolutely glow and she held out her hand for the blonde girl. "It's nice to meet you."

Fleur smiled politely back. "Bonjour. Beel mentioned you'd be staying with zee family."

Scarlett nodded, though the girl's accent was one Scarlett had never heard before. "Molly's been very kind."

So Scarlett made friends with the girl she learned was from France, though Molly didn't like her too much, despite the fact that she was getting married to Bill in about a year. Fleur informed her that her and Bill worked together in Diagon Alley, at Gringotts, a bank. She also went on to say that while her English wasn't the best, it was getting better with Bill's help - as that was how they became close.

Molly taught her how to use the Floo and made Scarlett repeat "Diagon Alley" multiple times before letting her use the actual fireplace. Once she landed, Harry gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm the reason Molly's making you repeat it. I came out at the wrong grate."

Scarlett laughed to herself, "Really?"

"Second year. It wasn't pretty. I ended up in Knockturn Alley, neighboring us. It's a pretty bad part of Wizarding London."

Hermione joined them seconds later. "Let's get text books first. Do you have money on you?"

Scarlett nodded, clutching the small bag of coins that Molly had told her to watch over. She explained it was Scarlett's money and that she could spend it however she wished, as long as she got her school things first. So she did just that. With the help of Hermione, she figured out which books she'd need and purchased the ten course books for the ten classes Scarlett wished to take. She went on to purchase her cauldron, potions ingredients, etc and was just finishing up getting her robes made when Hermione entered Madame Malkin's.

"We're going to head to the twin's place," Hermione told her. "They missed your birthday, so they want to say hi."

"Alright," Scarlett said, watching as Madame Malkin finished with boxing the girl's robes. "I'm almost done here, I think."

Scarlett paid and then they walked, Scarlett lugging her many bundles, towards the bright and bustling shop at the end of the Alley. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she felt some sort of magic wrap around her. "Wards," Hermione informed her. Scarlett nodded, but her ability to reply left her as she gasped and stared wide-eyed at the store around her. Things were flying through the air, teens were pouring over shelves for products, and people rushed past her to get into the store and buy whatever they could. A monkey on a tight rope was peddling across the ceiling, two buckets of water lapping up whatever was about to spill as the monkey jerked to stops.

Hermione took  her hand and led her through the shop, where the twins were grinning at the masterpiece around them. "Welcome, ladies! Love potions are over there," one of the twins greeted. "WonderWitch products, are in the back." The twin winked at her saucily.

"Don't listen to him. That aisle will only get you in trouble," the other shot at Scarlett. "Our Scarlett won't need that. She's a flawless witch already. And Heremione, don't even think about it."

"WonderWitch?" Scarlett asked, confused.

"Our cosmetic line," the first twin stated, smiling widely. "Rids of blemishes, permanent make up for the evening, whatever else a witch with less than desireable features could ask for."

"Oh," Scarlett said faintly. She glanced around the shop. "This is spectacular. You created all of this?"

"Every last product," the other twin grinned. "Began, when, Georgie?"

"I'd say around the age of eight, Freddie."

Fred smiled, "See anything you like, it's yours. Free of charge."

"Absolutely free. Though if you see my brothers trying to steal anything, tell them they owe us double," George warned. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Now, have fun, ladies. Don't break any hearts."

"Oh, and before we forget," Fred stated, grabbing a wrapped box and presenting it to Scarlett. "A gift for the almost sister we almost had."

It was the second time she had been called a sister by the Weasley boys and she gave a tearful smile as she accepted the present. "Thank you... You really shouldn't have."

"I really think you'll like this. Sorry for missing out on the party at the Burrow. We'll be by later for the meeting, though." George took the other bags Scarlett had and shrunk them so they could fit into her coin pounch. "There you are. Now, you can open that when you get to the Burrow later. I have a feeling we'll have to explain them."

Scarlett nodding, tucking it under her arm as she hugged both twins impulsively. "Thank you. This has been the best birthday ever."

"And you're the best surprise Mum's brought home since we came back from Egypt and she had the flu so we could eat ice cream for dinner," Fred chimed. Scarlett giggled as she pulled away.

"Oi, I remember that. And we threw a party in the attic with that ghoul."

Scarlett laughed but couldn't keep talking with them as they got pulled away and towards a pair of kids who were fighting over the last of a product. "Oi, kids! Knock it off! We have more in the back. If you'd just wait-"

Hermione led her over to where Ginny was and noticed it was love potions. "The twins said to stay away from this stuff," Scarlett said nervously.

"Oh, I'm not taking any. Ginny's already got a boyfriend, she doesn't need it either."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'm just wondering how long it will take before it's banned from Hogwarts."

"Not very long. McGonnagall will have a talk with Professor Dumbledore immediately," Hermione insisted. She steered the red heads away from the purple love potion stand and towards the more interesting products. Scarlett only ended up selecting a few Peruvian Instant Darkness Powders and a few candies - which Hermione advised her carefully on - before she nearly ran into someone in an attempt to keep up with the others in the crowd.

"I'm so sorry," Scarlett began to apologize, but when the person righted themselves, they seemed to brush it off. He was strange, Scarlett decided, as he watched her carefully.

"Weasley, is it?"

"Erm, no, I'm Scarlett," Scarlett admitted. "I'm only staying with the Weasleys."

He nodded, tossling his combed golden brown hair, before gesturing Scarlett past. "Sorry for knocking into you-"

"Oh, no, I ran into you. I'm terribly sorry," Scarlett insisted. "It's just so busy and-"

"Are you going to Hogwarts this year?" he asked. "I don't believe I've ever seen you around."

"Oh, yes... I'm going to be a sixth year this year," she admitted, confused. She didn't even know who this person was. He was tall, though, towering over her - not intimidatingly, but like he couldn't help it. His eyes were kind, though, too, and he stepped out of the way of the aisle. "Are you going?" Scarlett asked boldly.

He nodded. "I'm a Seventh year, Gryffindor."

"Oh," Scarlett smiled. "I don't know what house I'll be in... Harry and Hermione say Gryffindor, too, but Molly thinks Ravenclaw."

"Either way, I'll see you-"

"There you are," Hermione gasped, appearing out of nowhere, grabbing Scarlett's arm. "I've been looking all over! Where have you-" Her words died as she caught sight of the man Scarlett had ran into. "Let's go, Scarlett."

"It was nice meeting you," Scarlett said kindly but she doubted he heard her as Hermione pulled her away without so much as a second glance.

"How did you end up talking to him?" Hermione asked, a disgusted look on her face. Was he a bad guy? Did he work for the Dark Lord? He didn't seem like it. He seemed rather nice, and didn't seem to mind that she ran into him.

"I didn't mean to run into him," Scarlett admitted quickly as they ended up on the street, the others joining them. "I'm sorry if-"

"He's a prat," Hermione told her simply. "He tried out for the Quidditch team last year and threw an absolute fit when he didn't get on it. He's so obsessed with Quidditch."

Scarlett frowned. He didn't seem horrible. "What's Quidditch?" she asked instead.

Ron and Harry, having heard the question, were more than happy to fill her in. But soon Molly pulled her away towards a different shop and the Golden Trio went to the burned wand store that seemed to just be collecting dust and mold from the rain. "We need to get you a trunk for all of your school things. And a familiar," Molly stated.

"Severus said the familiar was already taken care of," Scarlett informed the woman. Ginny glanced around the trunk shop curiously. "I'd receive it on the train."

"Very well, then. A trunk is all. How much money do you have left?"

"Twelve gold coins, eighteen silver, and forty seven bronze," Scarlett answered. She had been keeping track as she spent.

Molly nodded, "Plenty then. Choose whichever you'd like."

Scarlett took a deep breath, the scent of wood filling the air. It reminded her of the woods just outside the Manor, where she had escaped. But this room was bright and golden in hue. Scarlett didn't want to take long, as the Order meeting would be starting soon, so she selected a cedar trunk with gold paint at the end to form in the very intials of her name - SLPS. She didn't know if she'd go by Snape or by Prince in the school, but she felt having both would be safer than none. She paid two galleons for it before Molly met up with a rather suspicious whispering Golden Trio. And then they all apparated out of the Alley, and to the Burrow.

There was a few hours until dinner - and then the meeting after - so she took her trunk and things up the stairs and sat in front of it carefully as she unshrunk her things and packed them all up. She stopped when she reached her birthday presents. She still hadn't opened the one from Severus, nor the one from the twins. Carefully, she placed her other items - a beaded bag from Hermione, books on healing from Ginny - which Scarlett had asked about, books on magical creatures - a subject she hadn't had a chance to study, but Harry and Ron had told her was a waste of time anyway, despite her interest, and Molly's homemade scarf in all four house colors with a light red 'S' stitched near the fringe. Scarlett had vowed to wear it in the winter season. It was the most thoughtful gift she had ever been given. As she tucked her Hogwarts letter into the trunk, she took Severus's present. It wasn't large, but it had been her mother's. She was careful as she tore off the paper and she gasped.

Resting on top of a velvet box was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. It was a locket, in the shape of a heart, with intricate vines touching every edge of the heart, as if holding it in place. She popped it open and tears came to her eyes at the pictures she saw. One side was a red haired woman that looked very much like her. Her eyes were a vibrant green, much like Harry's own. Her red hair and kind smile made Scarlett's tears fall. This was her mum. She couldn't have been older than Scarlett herself, waving brightly in the moving picture like she was alive. Across from her was Severus, younger, less severe and stoic. Though he was difficult to recognize, the pale skin, black eyes, and black hair gave it away. He wasn't smiling, but he at least looked content - happy. She ran her hand over the pictures and shut the locket, before slipping the chain over her head. She'd wear it always.

Reaching for the twin's gift, she set it atop her trunk and pulled away the bow and the paper just seemed to fall apart. Among the things inside the box were products from their store, but the main item was something entitled Forget-Me-Not. She had no idea what that meant. There were no instructions, so she had to wait until after dinner when the twins would arrive for an explanation.

She had never had the birthday song sang to her, but when all of the Weasleys did just that, she blushed furiously and couldn't help but giggle as the twins sang the loudest, earning a glare from their mother. She loved this bunch so much already. It had only been a few weeks. And she had just finished all the materials she needed to know before she would go to Hogwarts - even started some of the things for the next year. But she hadn't had much time as she had only an hour to crack open the books that had just been purchased. And she was still a bit behind on Defense, but Harry promised to catch her up. 

They cut into the cake and Scarlett praised Molly for how well it tasted, but her mind was on the homework she had seen the others do. Would she have to do some, as well? She hadn't truly thought that far.

 


	11. Journey to Hogwarts

Hogwarts Express was fire engine red. Scarlett only knew what that was because Harry had said it was the color of her hair - like some Muggle truck that put out fires. Scarlett stared at it with wide eyes, before taking a piece of her French braided hair Ginny and Fleur had worked on that morning and comparing the color. The exact same shade. Scarlett could only stare at it for a moment longer, however, before she noticed all the people around her.

"There are so many more than at Diagon Alley," Scarlett murmured.

Ginny, having heard, nodding in agreement. "Three to four hundred students, and their parents." 

It was more people than Scarlett had ever seen before. There were children of all ages and sizes pushing large carts. She didn't understand why they had more than one trunk with them, as everything seemed to fit in just one trunk for her, and for Harry. Hermione had a trunk and a smaller suitcase. Ginny two trunks, one having been Fred or George's, and one that was her own, full of magazines and clothing that Scarlett thought was quite revealing. Ron's trunk was an absolute mess and he had to have one of the other twins trunks just to fit his robes and school things.

She spotted a woman that looked rather severe with a large bird atop her hat, speaking to someone Scarlett couldn't see. A few people over, she spotted a few tall guys laughing loudly, passing each other galleons - or something that looked like the small golden coins. A few more steps and Molly pulled them to a stop. "Now," the woman said sternly. 

"We'll load up the trunks," Harry volunteered. Him and Ron began to unload them, what looked like house-elves on the train as they put certain trunks to a small compartment room. 

Molly nodded in satisfaction and turned to Ginny, kissing the girl on the forehead and smoothing down the red hair. "Now, you stay out of trouble, do you hear? No running off to the Ministry and giving your father and I a heart attack again, you hear?" Ginny rolled her eyes, but nodded. Molly then gushed over Hermione. "Keep them all in line. Make sure they do their school work and don't let them get into any trouble."

"Trouble usually finds us, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione returned easily.

"Oh," Molly sighed and gave Hermione a tight hug. She then turned to Scarlett, who fidgeted nervously. "Now, try not to get too involved with any boys. Put your studies first. And Merlin, my dear, if Malfoy even approaches you, the boys will keep you well guarded. Also, if you do get involved with any boys, be sure to remember what Ginny told you-"

"Shag whichever good ones come along, right?" Ginny returned innocently.

"No!" Molly cried. "No," she repeated to Scarlett firmly. "Now, I may not be your mother, but I don't want you to go around ... sleeping with men, alright? I've grown very fond of you and I don't want to hear that behavior going on at school." Scarlett nodded immediately, moving to assure her she wouldn't, but Molly pressed on. "And if any boy breaks your heart, I'm sure Harry or Ron will be more than happy to break him." 

Scarlett giggled, "Thank you, Molly. I-I'll focus on my studies, I think. I don't plan on involving myself in anything other than that." 

"Good girl," Molly decided, kissing both of Scarlett's cheeks. "Now, be sure to write me, alright? I expect a letter at least once a month."

Scarlett nodded, "Of course."

"And I'll see you this Christmas, dear. Be careful, this year. And if you need any help at all, don't be afraid to ask the teachers, especially if you don't understand something. And your Head of House will be willing to listen to any personal or educational problems, and Professor Dumbledore will also listen."

Scarlett nodded again, "I'll remember."

"Mum, we're going to be late," Ginny stated.

"Oh, of course, go on, get a compartment." Molly seemed dangerously close to being misty eyed. Scarlett didn't want to woman to cry. "Now, hurry!" She then grabbed Harry and Ron, giving them a stern talking to. Merlin, Scarlett could only imagine how she must feel, her son being best friends with Harry Potter. Once Scarlett got onto the train, she spotted her trunk and began to follow Ginny, dragging it with her to wherever their destination was. 

"I'm off to find Dean," Ginny said as they stopped at an empty compartment. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Bye," Scarlett said nervously as she peered into the compartment. 

"Here, I'll go ahead of you," Hermione spoke up from behind Scarlett. Scarlett moved out of the way. "You just levitate the trunk into the rack. You gotta go slow though, because sometimes the magic on the train thinks that magic moving too fast is dangerous and it sort of, er, backfires. I learned that the hard way my first year."

"Oh," Scarlett said faintly, waiting in the doorway, still halfway into the hall, as she watched Hermione, with her back turned to the new student. Right, slow. She could do slow. 

A few people rushed by Scarlett, making her head turn in their direction as they laughed and ducked into a compartment quickly just a few feet down. She didn't know who they were, of course, but they seemed to be having fun. She turned back to watch Hermione, whose trunk was only two feet from the ground still, and nearly felt her heart bang against her ribcage as she spotted a figure standing really close beside her. Draco.

He held his finger to his lips and glanced towards Hermione, indicating he didn't want to be caught. Scarlett pressed her hand over her heart, trying to get it to restart, and nodded once. She understood. He held up his hand suddenly and Scarlett glanced down to see a plastic crate, metal bars on the front, dangling from the handle in his hands. "Yours," he murmured, so quietly she almost didn't hear it.

She glanced at Hermione, seeing the trunk only halfway up, before she leaned down and peered into the crate. A fluffy white feline was sleeping, giving a soft puff of air every few seconds. She glanced up at Draco in surprise. Severus had said her familiar was arranged, but from Draco she didn't expect. "Thank you..." She took the cage from his outstretched hand, clutchinng it firmly. "I-"

He just gave a stiff nod before walking off past her. She watched him leave, going into the next car, and then glanced down at the carrier in her hands. Strange. 

"What was that all about?" Harry asked.

Scarlett jumped, nearly dropping her trunk on her toes in her alarm. "Goodness! I didn't hear you-"

"Why was Malfoy talking to you?" Harry interrupted, glancing at the cat carrier. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, he-" She paused, glancing at the carrier before back to Harry, Ron just over his shoulder. "Severus had said my familiar was taken care of..." She lifted the carrier slightly, hearing the thunk as Hermione's trunk landed into the rack above. "Draco just gave it to me."

"Draco?" Ron asked. "Why do you call him that?"

She bit her lip, "He... he told me to. Am I not supposed to?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Alright, then... If that's... what he wants." He cleared his throat, obviously feeling awkward. "Er, Hermione?"

The witch in question flicked her wand towards the cage, making Scarlett about speak a protest, but it died in her throat as nothing happened. "What did you do to him?"

"I'm making sure it's not an animagus," Hermione replied simply, offering no other explanation. She took a seat and Scarlett got to levitating her trunk, placing the cat carrier on another seat space. Her trunk rose a little quicker than Hermione's, and she sat down at the window, pulling the cat carrier onto her lap. Glancing out of it, she saw Molly waving furiously, as though there were flies about her face, and she spotted Remus and Tonks discreetly guarding the plump woman. Scarlett glanced about the platform, not recognizing any faces until she reached the back of the crowd. The train whistle blew and began to roll away as Scarlett made eye contact with Lucius Malfoy.

She couldn't be sure he was staring directly at her, of course, but she was pretty sure. It could have been Harry, who had instead opted to lift his trunk up without magic, or Hermione or Ron. Scarlett noticed that he was scowling, obviously displeased, and looking as though he smelled something fowl. 

It wasn't her. She had woken up especially early, too excited, and had showered before following Severus to Eileen Prince's house. There, the woman had given her a diamond bracelet, telling her that it was Eileen's mothers and now Scarlett should have it. Eileen also informed Severus very sharply that he should have told her the last time his granddaughter visited, it was the girl's birthday. Severus didn't apologize. Instead, he raised an eyebrow as if she expected it of him, and sipped from the tea. Eileen had banned him from the tea room for the remainder of the visit, after that, and her and Scarlett talked about Tyler and what methods they would approach.

It was then that Scarlett showed her what the twins had given her for her birthday. The Forget-Me-Not was a device that pointed to direct descent and ascent from the person holding it. So she held it in her palm for demonstration and the single arrow split into two, one pointing directly at Eileen, and another towards the door where Severus had gone. There seemed to be no third arrow. Eileen promised the girl that she'd purchase one herself and she'd see what she found with it.

Scarlett had almost wept in happiness at that and promised to help the woman if she could in any way. Red arrows meant ascent, blue meant descent. It would be easiest if Scarlett searched herself, as there would only be one blue arrow, instead of three, but she had no idea how she would leave Hogwarts for the search. Perhaps Christmas time, maybe Easter holidays?

"Scarlett?" Harry asked as soon as she had looked away from Lucius, meeting Narcissa's eyes. The woman had a small smile on her fact, though Scarlett didn't know what that meant. It could have very well meant that someone had said something funny to the cool woman, and she had smiled in response. Scarlett doubted it had anything to do with her. She glanced towards Molly, fading in the distance, and waved a few times, before giving Harry her attention.

"Yes?" 

"You gunna take the cat out or...?"

Scarlett glanced at the cat in the carrier, to find it awake now, it's gray eyes blinking up at her. Gray like a Malfoy's eyes, white fur like a Malfoy's hair. She should have expected nothing less, really. She didn't expect anything at all, however, so she opened the doors and the cat lazily strode out, licking its paw as it sat on her lap. Scarlett giggled, sliding the carrier under her seat. 

"It has a collar," Hermione noted.

Scarlett noticed as well, the dark blue collar, and gently turned the silver tag in her fingers until she could read it. "Dear Scarlett - oh, my name's spelled right! - Leo. Sorry for everything, Draco." She ran her finger over the engraving and it abruptly changed so that it just said Leo instead of the message. "It changed!"

"It must have been spelled until you read it," Hermione said after a moment. 

"He did say sorry," Harry said carefully. "But that doesn't explain why he was in Borgin and Burkes..."

"Mr. Malfoy would never have allowed him to give this to me," Scarlett said quietly. "Perhaps he was making a transaction-"

"It was a Death Eater initiation, I feel it," Ron stated simply. "All that dark stuff, and that cupboard. I'm telling you, he's up to no good. I don't think a Death Eater, not yet, anyway, but he's up to something for sure."

"He's a Death Eater, I'm sure of it," Harry said firmly. He glanced at Scarlett. "When you were there, was there a Mark on his arm?"

Scarlett swallowed. She didn't want to ... to betray the boy that had saved her. "No," she said quietly, hating the disappointed look in his eye. Like he knew she was lying. "He saved me, you know. Him and the Dark Lord... Mr. Malfoy was going to kill me, and Draco insisted I had some peerage that would make me useful." She ran a hand across the cat's fur. It purred in response. "I was taken to the library with Draco and he looked through the magical registry for magical persons.... He found me, and I wasn't killed because of it." She gave a bright smile to them. "I owe Draco my life for that. The Dark Lord, as well, because he found me intriguing in the first place. And while the Dark Lord isn't a particularly good person, I'll always be grateful for it."

She glanced at the cat as it purred loudly to Scarlett's minstrations. She had never taken care of an animal before. She wasn't very good at taking care of things. The last time she had, it had been a cold night, barely any food, no water. The way the body was freezing to the touch and she tried her best, giving the child blankets, fending off the rats and the wind with her own body. And during the days, the elves, ever so kind, would allow the cold body to warm by the fire in the kitchens, to stay there until Scarlett's chores were over.

"Scarlett?"

"I don't have any food for him," Scarlett blurted, worriedly. "I don't even know what cats eat."

"Oh, the elves take care of that. They bring food to the Common Rooms twice a day," Hermione informed Scarlett. The red-head breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, all the animals are fed by the elves, even the owls. Don't worry about it," Ron smirked. "I had a rat, right, and they don't even allow rats. But the elves fed Scabbers right up until third year."

"Why not third year?" Scarlett said confused.

"Oh, turns out he was an animagus. Peter Pettigrew, missing finger an all."

"An animagus is a witch or wizard that can turn themselves into an animal, usually the same as their patronus," Harry informed the confused sister of his. "It's not required in the Wizarding World, and most people can't. My godfather, dad, and Pettigrew became animagus their fifth year. Taught themselves and everything."

"Pettigrew is the one that turns on Harry's parents, and your mum, and had them killed by the Dark Lord."

"Oh, that's horrible," Scarlett murmured, her hand pausing on the cat's head. It wiggled on her lap, petting itself, as if to remind her how to do so. "Sorry, Leo," she murmured, resuming her minstrations. "But they must have been exceptionally brilliant in order to accomplish that their fifth year."

"Oh, yeah, takes years of training," Hermione supplied before pulling a book out of her trunk and cracking it open. Their charms book. Scarlett had finished that particuar book last night, around dinnertime. She had been writing her essays, though no one knew if they were required for her, and decided to take a little bit of reading time to finish it. She had finished all of the others. But her handwriting was still attrocious. She had only begun learning how to write the previous week, and copared to then, it was at least legible now. Fleur had been teaching her how to write in a pretty script, but even then it was hard. Harder than anything Scarlett had done before.

But she was getting better. Her grammar and spelling left something more to be desired, but she was improving, slowly. Severus had stated that he informed the teachers that she was still working on it, and they would be sympathetic to her case. But she wanted to be treated fairly, so she was going to have to work hard to fix it as soon as possible. And the more she read, the better her spelling, as her photographic memory pictured the word she was looking for.

The compartment door slid open with a thwack and Scarlett stiffened as two burly boys blocked the exit. Scarlett lowered her eyes to the ground, an arm holding Leo tightly to her, but not making it seem so.

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked, rudely.

"Oh, my, look who we found," Goyle laughed. "Little red-head, always on her knees."

Scarlett tightened her hand in the cat's fur, swallowing. She didn't look up, she refused. Crabbe spoke up, "Best fuck I've ever had. What are you doing here, girly? Finally run away?"

"No, bet someone finally paid Lucius enough money to sell her to some man to keep his bed warm. Who was it, girl? Snape?" Goyle guessed.

Scarlett felt as small as she did at the Manor, shaking her head quietly. Crabbe continued, "So not Snape. Draco? He sneak you on the train?"

"No," Scarlett answered, her voice barely audible. 

"Good, then you can come with us-"

Scarlett's head snapped up, her eyes wide with fright. What? They couldn't! Ginny said you didn't do that - that men weren't like that at Hogwarts. She swallowed, finding her voice. "I'm not going anywhere with you two."

"You can come with me," Goyle smirked and she heard the double meaning in his words. Scarlett grimaced and glanced back to the ground.

"No."

"How dare you, Mudblood?" Goyle hissed, suddenly angry. She hated making people angry. Things were always worse when someone got angry. "I said-"

"She said no," Harry snapped. "That means you leave her alone."

"Oh, you have a boyfriend then? Boy Potter?" Crabbe snorted. "Should have known. Nothing else you can do but keep his bed warm, so he had to drag you along-"

She rose so suddenly she didn't even know she had done it. She could fight back now. She had a wand now, where she didn't before. It gave her a confidence she hadn't had before. She was pleased to see them back up a small step. "The reasons I'm here are none of your business, but if you must know, you should have your parents talk to their boss." They paled slightly. "Now I have to perform memory modification charms because you two... two... _oafs_ ," she hated calling people names, "can't keep it in your pants. Last I heard you were putting it in each other's pants."

She looked them over in an obvious less than pleased grimace. "How dare you speak to me like that, Mudblood-" 

"You've seen my blood," Scarlett interrupted with fire. "Was it as dirty as you were led to believe?"

"Even dirtier," Goyle sneered. "Bleeding from your fat and broken body, writhing under me-"

"How's your precious little Tyler?" Crabbe smirked. "He ever return from the hospital? He ever return to you?"

Scarlett faltered. "How do you know about that?" she demanded weakly. No one but Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, and Eileen knew, that she knew of. She hadn't even told her own father, or the Weasleys... she couldn't. They'd never look at her the same again. "How?" she repeated when they snickered.

"Word travels quickly. Hard not to hear. Poor little Tyler, freezing in the night-"

"Stop it," Scarlett hissed.

"Poor little red-head, couldn't help him- couldn't fix the mistakes she made, because she was nothing better than a whore-"

She stepped back. "I-I-"

"He's looking for you," Goyle smirked. "Zabini. Been searching the train since he got word the slave was onboard." Zabini? He was attending school with them? Oh, no, he'd be so angry with her... even if he was one of the nicer visitors to the Manor.

"Blaise Zabini?" Hermione spoke up. "And just what is his business with her?"

"They don't know," Crabbe laughed, squeezing his body into the door so he was in view as well. "Typical. Always keeping secrets, aren't you, bitch?"

"Don't talk to her like that!" Harry roared suddenly. He moved Scarlett so that she was hidden partially behind him. "Leave-"

"I've grown bored. Say, red, when Potter tires of you, you'll always be able to stay on my pillow. I'll never get tired of making you scream."

The compartment door shut with their departure and Scarlett sank down, pulling her cat onto her lap quietly, numbly. How could she tell them the truth, without revealing the truth? 

"Who knew you were a spitfire!" Ron broke the tense silence as Harry stared at Scarlett. "You two must get that from your mum, 'cause Harry's got the same issue. What? Don't look at me like that, mate, you do!" Scarlett gave a fake smile, giggling slightly, as she kissed the top of Leo's head gently. Country side was rolling by the windows and animals Scarlett had never seen before were appearing. She didn't want to ask what they were, but she had a good guess. Livestock, probably.

"Scarlett?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Scarlett said quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call them names, or be mean to them. I've never had the chance before, you see. I don't know what happened. I didn't even remember standing up... But that's no excuse. I should apologize-"

"You're not going anywhere near them," Harry said firmly. "Merlin, Scarlett, why didn't you say something? I-I mean, I had a guess at what would happen there, but..." she didn't need to ask where there was, "I never knew it was _that_ bad... Or maybe I refused to believe it."

"Who's Tyler?" Hermione pressed, her voice soft and her book forgotten on her lap.

"No one," Scarlett insisted. "And... it wasn't always bad. That wasn't always a punishment... I... I was given a lot of freedoms. I could travel anywhere in the Manor I wanted to, except for the library, any time of day, unless Mr. Malfoy was in the same room. Draco and Mrs. Malfoy were okay with me being in the same room, and Mrs. Malfoy usually kept me company, especially if Mr. Malfoy was out." She gave a light shrug. "Many frequented the Manor, for meetings."

"And they took interest in you."

"I was a young girl, a girl that couldn't run to the Aurors or tell on them," Scarlett admitted. "Things happened and Mr. Malfoy let them."

Harry exhaled sharply. "I'm following them. I'm thinking a hex-"

"Don't add fuel to the fire," Scarlett pleaded softly. "I don't want them to seek revenge out on me. And they'll think I cast memory charms on you, because I sort of mentioned the Dark Lord... I don't want to get in trouble for this... If word gets back to the Dark Lord of how I revealed he wanted me here, he could get angry at me, too, I think... He gets angry a lot."

"Then I'm going to check on-"

The door opened and Harry sat down abruptly, glaring at the door. Scarlett knew who it was immediately. It wasn't a face she could have forgotten, even if she tried. A small smile was touching his lips as he found her, and he leaned against the frame, crossing his arms. "I tried to get here before the baffoons, but I wasn't quick enough," Blaise said apologetically, an Italian accent rolling off his tongue. His dark skin glinted in the near noon sun as he stared at no one but her. "Can I talk to you, _mio amore?_ "

"No, she most certainly-" Hermione started.

"Sure," Scarlett interrupted, moving the cat off her lap. Blaise's eyes followed it for a second with a smirk.

"You don't know how long that thing has been leaving whole coats of fur on my bed," Blaise told the red-headed girl. Gripping her wand, she stepped out of the compartment. Blaise shut it behind her, and Scarlett glanced back inside, worriedly. "They can't hear you, there are silencing charms on the compartments. A lot of people like to throw a pre-feast party."

"Oh," Scarlett said softly, her brow furrowing before she glanced up at him. He was a lot taller than she remembered. "If this is about what I said to Crabbe and Goyle, I'm sorry. I never meant to lose my temper-"

"They probably deserved it," Blaise interrupted cooly. He looked her over. "You look a lot better. More color, less bone, and your hair-" His hand darted out and took the long braid, inspecting it gently before he let it drop from his palm. "It's a great look for you."

"Thank you," Scarlett said, unsure of what this was about. "And you look... less glassy-eyed."

He gave a smirk to that, laughing, "I suppose I do." His face slowly morphed into a serious mask and he worried on his lip as he hesitated in continuing. "I'm sorry, you know. I-I never meant to hurt you or-"

"You didn't," Scarlett interrupted quickly. "And I know you didn't mean to. Mr. Malfoy- It wasn't your fault, Mister Zabini. I was the one that-"

"Blaise," he interrupted. "My name is Blaise. Mister Zabini is my father, who is seven step-dads to the grave."

She started to giggle but bit her lip to stop it. "Blaise. I was the one that spilled the bucket. I should have cleaned it up quicker."

"That's not your fault. Anyway, that's not why I'm trying to find you. Well, it is, partially. The other part... I heard about what happened from Malfoy."

"Has he been telling everyone?" Scarlett inquired quietly, her eyes darting back to the compartment.

"No, Crabbe and Goyle just overheard the name. They know he was taken away, but they assumed infirmary. They think he was a slave with you-"

"I can't let them find out," Scarlett said, watching the others through the window. They were staring at her, ready to attack Blaise if he pulled anything. "I can't let Professor Snape find out, either. His mother knows, Eileen. She's helping me find him and-"

"Find him? He's alive?" Blaise asked, surprised.

Scarlett nodded, tears appearing in her eyes with the sudden emotion. Someone that understood what it felt like to go through what she did, even if he didn't fully, he had a better grasp on the concept. "He is... Merlin, he really is. Eileen and I, we're looking. There's a Weasley product called Forget-Me-Not. We're using that, as our main source. But I'm going to research more ways at Hogwarts... I don't know where he is, I just know he's alive and-"

"Merlin's beard..." Blaise leaned against the compartment door, shaking his head in disbelief. "I always assumed... They all assume he's dead. Lucius and Draco-"

"He's not," Scarlett promised. "When Sever-Professor Snape did the lineage potion... his name was there. I swear to it."

"I believe you... I just... I never thought he would be... That's _fantastico_ ," Blaise said, his accent thicker as he suddenly straightened. "How can I help?"

"I need help researching, if you really want to. But you don't have to," Scarlett rushed quickly. "You don't need to. It's my fault he's gone. I couldn't-"

"It's not your fault," Blaise said fiercely. Scarlett bit her lip, her eyes dropping to the floor. "It's Lucius Malfoy's fault, all right? And I'll make sure he pays for it one day. But I want to help. Tomorrow's Saturday... On the fourth floor is the library, I'm sure Granger will show you to it... We don't have classes so you'll have the day free. I'll be there all day, but get there whenever you can." He seemed brighter, his eyes twinkling as he gazed down at her. And then he seemed to hesitate, as though the next thing he was about to say he wasn't sure of. "Can I hug you?"

Scarlett nodded, uneasy by his hesitance. Why was he hesitant? It wasn't as if she had a fear of being hugged. Though, she knew many victims in her situation would have an aversion to people, Scarlett wanted to leave her past behind her. He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her small waist, burying his face in her neck. Scarlett wrapped her own arms around his neck, taking comfort in his familiar scent and body heat. Tomatoes and baking bread. He had always smelt like that to her. "We'll get him back... I want to be there for him."

Scarlett nodded into his own neck. "The Dark Lord can't find him... He will only serve as leverage for the both of us to do things we don't want to do."

"You're right." He pulled away slowly, staring at her. "You're a fighter... Scarlett."

She didn't know how to respond to that. "I'm really not. I just want to fix things and then to get away from the war, from everything. It's cowardly, really. But I just want everything to be alright."

"It will be," Blaise nodded. "You should get back to your lions. When you find out what house you're in... well, I'm sure we'll all know... And stay away from Crabbe and Goyle. Try not to get caught alone with them. They won't hesitate to do something."

Scarlett nodded at once. "Of course."

He gave a small inclination of his head before he was striding away. Scarlett opened up the compartment door and ignored their accusing looks. She shut it behind her and sat beside a sleeping Leo. Merlin, that cat slept. But all Scarlett could think about was how Blaise didn't blame her. Merlin's beard, that was... that meant a lot to her. She had tried the best she could and it still hadn't been enough. She didn't know how to take care of anything, but Leo would be a start. If she could take care of Leo successfully, she would have a beginner's chance with Tyler.

And Tyler's father had just agreed to help search. It was just the boost she needed.

"Hermione, I'm thinking of going to the library tomorrow morning," Scarlett said suddenly, in their expectant silence. "I have a few sentences I need supporting facts on in my essay, and I would really appreciate it if you showed me where it was." A small lie was necessary to tell a safer truth in the end.


	12. Journey to Hogwarts: Part II

"Are you two close?"  
  
The questions were ... well, not as bad as Scarlett expected. She waited a moment, considering ignoring the question, but glanced at Harry, answering. "Not particularly."  
  
"You hug any Slytherin that houses your cat?" Well, Blaise did say that Leo had put a lot of fur on his bed. Why would Blaise keep the cat in his room? Scarlett shrugged at Ron's question. She didn't know. She hadn't really hugged any Slytherin... besides her father and Blaise.   
  
"Does Blaise know you? Previously?"  
  
"He would visit the manor," Scarlett admitted. "He would keep me company, if Mr. Malfoy was away and Narcissa was around. He's very intelligent and he liked to show me things - particularly tricks he had learned."  
  
He had only visited the manor twice in all of her stay there. One meeting with him wasn't particularly good. The second meeting, compared, was very nice. Narcissa and her had been sitting in the solarium, and when he arrived with Draco, the tension was ... well, thick. But Blaise compensated with talking as though either nothing happened or as though she was one of his friends. Scarlett had enjoyed it.   
  
"Tricks?"  
  
She remembered particularly the blue sparks he had sparked, and how it turned gradually as it danced over their heads, into a blue flower that floated down and landed on Scarlett's plate.   
  
An elf had found it in her room a week later and informed Lucius, leading her to be severely punished for cutting flowers in the garden.  
  
"Just little spells that I had never seen before. Sparks would turn into flowers. Flowers would turn into beautiful objects..." Scarlett cleared her throat. "That's all. Draco and Narcissa always enjoyed the tricks as well..."   
  
Harry raised an eyebrow, almost surprised. "You would hang out with them?"  
  
"If Mr. Malfoy was away, and my chores for the day were complete, I could do whatever I wished, as long as it didn't overstep my boundaries. Narcissa asked me to stay and sit with her for tea. I couldn't refuse an order, of course." Scarlett smiled slightly, shrugging. "The elves could hardly tattle on me for it, and the elves rarely tattled on me if I talked to Narcissa. They didn't want to get me in trouble."  
  
"And this happened often?"  
  
Scarlett shook her head. "No, never frequently. Perhaps a few times a year. And a few being no more than three."  
  
Hermione bit her lip. "Does Zabini fancy you? Or do you fancy him?"  
  
Scarlett frowned. "No, I don't think he does. He isn't fond of girls like me. He's dating a girl, a Daphne Greengrass, last I heard. And no, I don't fancy him. I'm not really sure what it's like to fancy someone." Scarlett stroked Leo's fur as she glanced back towards the window. "People always change... They always have two different sides. How can someone fancy someone that is like that?"  
  
There was silence for a few minutes, and Scarlett berated herself internally for making it awkward. It was something she didn't want to do. Suddenly, Hermione stood and Ron was quick to follow. "We have a prefects meeting," she said. "We'll see you before the train arrives. It shouldn't take too long."  
  
And they were gone, Ron mumbling about how a professor wouldn't even notice their disappearance. Hermione assured him that they would. When the compartment door shut, Harry stayed silent for a while, which Scarlett appreciated, but when he began to ask questions, Scarlett wished for nothing more than the silence again.  
  
"Are you alright? Crabbe and Goyle... they don't .... I mean, they haven't seen you in a while, right?"  
  
"Not for a few months, no," Scarlett admitted. She glanced at Harry, biting her lip, and he seemed to be in silent fury. "Can we not talk about them, please? I wouldn't like to dwell on the past. Hogwarts is a new beginning, and I'd like it to stay that way."  
  
Harry obviously had a lot more questions, but nodded once. "Very well." He glanced out the window. "This was the first compartment I ever sat in too, you know. My first year, I didn't know anyone so I just sat here alone, and the train took off. No one was on the platform to see me off, so I just struggled getting my trunk up onto the rack. And then, well... Ron came in, and we were instantly friends."  
  
"That's nice," Scarlett commented. "And Hermione?"  
  
"We weren't friends with Hermione for a while," he admitted. "Ron was always mean to her, and I didn't really know how to talk to a girl... Living with the Dursley's, my cousin Dudley always made sure people wouldn't talk to me. We didn't become friends with Hermione until Halloween, when a troll had gotten into the school. We rescued her, Ron and I, and she stopped us from getting into trouble. I suppose that's when our trouble began."  
  
Scarlett giggled. "And it hasn't stopped has it?"  
  
"Be prepared for a bumpy year. Something crazy's bound to happen."  
  
Scarlett smiled and glanced down at Leo. "Well it can't be that bad. I'd imagine you've gotten that out of your system with all of the stories I've been told."  
  
"You'd be surprised what can be concocted." Harry pulled his legs up to his chest as he tucked his body into the corner of the compartment. "Do you feel ready for the year?"  
  
"I'm a little nervous," Scarlett admitted. She clutched her braid with her free hand, tugging on it slightly. "There are so many things I don't know... that someone would learn from their environment. I'm afraid I'll get lost in the castle, or... well, be sorted into a house with no one I know... What if I am?"  
  
"Doesn't mean we can't be friends still," Harry insisted. "I mean, we're still siblings. Your sorting doesn't tell you who you can and can't be friends with. I'm friends with a lot of people outside of Gryffindor. Luna, Cho, a lot of the Quidditch players, and hell, even a few that have already graduated. You can be friends with anyone. Don't worry about that."  
  
She nodded to herself, remembering that. "What if... what if people don't like me?" She had expressed the same concern to Severus, but ... Severus had insisted they would. She doubted he truly meant it, and only said it as a form of consoling.   
  
"People like Malfoy, though I don't see how. Everyone has enemies that you can't control. Just don't create enemies." She nodded. "People are going to like you, Scarlett. You're pretty, you're smart, and you're nice. What's not to like?"  
  
She shrugged. Her past was a reason she could think of. People wouldn't like it. Or they'd judge her for it. She didn't want it to define her.   
  
The compartment door opened and she braced herself for another greeting with Crabbe and Goyle, but instead when she looked, it was a kind looking man with a vibrant blonde that could have been mistaken for a Malfoy, had her clothing not have been Muggle, and her glasses not a strange color.   
  
"Hey, Harry." The boy turned to Scarlett. "Hey, I'm Neville Longbottom." He offered his hand for her to shake, and she did so.   
  
"Scarlett," she introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you."  
  
"This is Luna," Neville continued, gesturing towards the blonde.   
  
The blonde smiled lazily at Scarlett, not offering her hand, but some advice instead. "What you're looking for will come back to you." Her voice was dreamy, as though she was trying to put a child to sleep. "He wants to find you too."  
  
Scarlett paled. She couldn't mean... Tyler? How did she know about him? "I'm sorry?"  
  
"Oh, it's okay. You'll understand soon." She seated herself besides Scarlett, inspecting the cat. "This is a rare breed, you know. His parents were the cats of the Grand Duchess of Tuscany. He's a very fine cat. And he particularly likes to be rubbed just under his chin." Luna demonstrated by tickling the bottom of Leo's chin, to which he purred immediately to. "See?"  
  
"You're very intuitive," Scarlett remarked. "How do you know his peerage?"  
  
"Oh, it's obvious with the way he presents himself. Also, the wackspurts floating around Harry's head sniffed him and discovered this. They tell me things, you see. You don't have any wackspurts - that's a good thing, you know."  
  
"Oh, well... that's good."  
  
"But, they also say that you're sad... you know the best way to cure sadness is to do something that makes you happy. When I'm sad I like to read my daddy's magazine. What do you like to do?"  
  
"I... I'm not sure," Scarlett admitted.  
  
"Would you like to read the Quibbler? It's very enlightening. Why, just last year it became the most popular magazine in all of Britain. Daddy was very happy with that." The blonde wasn't quite all there, it seemed, but her apparent insanity wasn't .... like Bellatrix's. It was rather... characteristic.   
  
"I'd very much like to read it," Scarlett said after a second. "It sounds interesting."  
  
"Oh, it really is." Luna reached into her back pocket and pulled out a rolled up Quibbler, slightly flattened from where she had sat. "You can give it back to me whenever you finish."  
  
"Okay," Scarlett said, taking the magazine from her hands. "What houses are you two in?" Neville had seated himself by Harry, watching the two girls interacting.   
  
"I'm in Gryffindor, in Harry's year," Neville supplied. "Luna's in Ginny's year and she's in Ravenclaw."  
  
"How do you like Ravenclaw?" Scarlett asked. "I've heard so much about Gryffindor, I'm interested in how other houses are."  
  
"Oh, Ravenclaw is nice," Luna admitted, smiling pleasantly, her gaze not leaving the cat as she pet it. "The nargles like to steal my things, even though Neville tells me that people take them, but I know the truth." People steal things? Scarlett glanced at Neville, but he just sighed, shaking his head. "They're a very studious group. If it were any other house, why, I would think the bookworms had taken over their brains."  
  
"So they're all smart?" Scarlett asked.   
  
She didn't want to be in a house that stole people's things, though.... She wanted to be treated... well normally.  
  
"Oh, yes, the smartest in the school, if you don't count Granger," Neville informed her. Harry said she was smart. She knew she was. Severus had seemed surprised she found no need to study the material. And how accurate her memory was. Would she be smart enough for Ravenclaw?  
  
"I wouldn't eat the salad tonight," Luna said suddenly. Scarlett glanced at the blonde, who looked as though she could have been a Malfoy. "It won't quite agree with your stomachs. The mashed potatoes, though, have extra milk so they're nice and creamy."  
  
"Thanks for the information," Harry said awkwardly. He cleared his throat and glanced towards the window, where Scarlett's own attention had been drawn by the sudden darkness they were thrown into as the train seemed to loose all sense of light. "We're going through a tunnel," Harry explained. "There are a few of them."  
  
"Oh," Scarlett said softly. She blushed slightly at the confused glance Neville was giving her. "Right." And just as quickly as the darkness had come, bright light filtrated through the compartment, and she could see a stretch of green grass once more.   
  
"Oh, Neville! We should go to find Ginny. I heard she and Dean brought a few things from Weasley Wizard Wheezes, including a nice pair of Snaggle-Corns." Luna rose swiftly and smiled pleasantly. "Goodbye, Harry, Scarlett. We'll leave you two."  
  
"Bye, Luna, see you at the feast." Luna flounced off as Scarlett gave an echoing smile, and Neville sighed, standing.  
  
"I should probably catch up before one of the Slytherin's catches her," Neville muttered. "See you at the feast, mate. Nice to meet you, Scarlett."  
  
"You too, Neville," Scarlett smiled. He flushed and closed the door hastilly, but not before bumping into it slightly on his way out.   
  
"You're going to be a giant flirt, aren't you?" Harry muttered.  
  
Scarlett glanced at him quickly, confusion evident. "What's a giant flirt?"  
  
"Oh, bloody hell," Harry muttered. She was about to ask, seriously, what he meant, but he shook his head and glanced back out the window. "Forget it. Just... don't get too friendly with the guys. Friends, but don't... bloody hell, you're my sister. Don't date any chumps, alright?"  
  
"Chumps? I thought those were animals," Scarlett stated.  
  
"Like... bad guys. Guys that are only pursuing you for one reason..." He glanced at her. "And it's not a good reason."  
  
She blinked. "Like... Followers of Voldemort-?"  
  
"No, like..." He sighed and gestured towards her. "Guys that want to sleep with you, and not the innocent kind of sleep with you, but the-"  
  
"Sex," Scarlett said bluntly. "Oh, Harry, you don't need to worry about that. I'm capable of handling myself, you know. I've managed to knock you down quite a few times-"  
  
"You've inherited Snape's skills in duelling," Harry admitted reluctantly. "And mum's looks. It's a dangerous combination. Guys go for that."  
  
"Well, how do I know if they're chumps?" Scarlett questioned. "How do I know if they aren't just being nice. Like Neville. Or the twins..."  
  
He sighed. "You ask one of us. But if we aren't around... chumps are more interested in your body than your personality. If they can't stop looking at your body, rather than your face, they're a chump. And if they can't stop dropping innuendos, they're a chump."  
  
"So like Crabbe and Goyle," Scarlett said brightly. "That makes more sense now."  
  
Harry nodded, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I'd prefer you don't date at all."  
  
"Harry... I have no intentions to date anyone," Scarlett said earnestly. "Nor any intentions to ever get married. You don't have to worry about that. Besides, it's not something you should worry about. You have enough people that are after you, in a good or bad way. I swear six people-" She paused, glancing towards the compartment door. "Seven, now, have looked through the window, just to get a look at you. All of whom were girls, by the way."  
  
"Happens every year," Harry shrugged. "Mostly first years that want to get a good look." The compartment door slid open with a thwack and Scarlett jumped at the suddenness of it, but relaxed when she saw the grinning face of Ron, and the equally as happy face of Hermione.   
  
"Scarlett, Professor McGonagall has told us some great news!" Hermione said quickly.  
  
"What is it?" Scarlett asked, wondering what the woman could possibly want from Scarlett. She had never met the professor, only knew that she was the Head of House for Gryffindor.  
  
"You've been sorted into Gryffindor," Ron hurried out before Hermione could. "Also, Dumbledore wants to see you in his office tonight, but other than that, you're in Gryffindor!"  
  
She nearly sighed in relief. Thank Merlin. "That's fantastic!" Harry cried. "We need the house points, and another teacher's favorite. Hermione can't win back the points we lose on her own."  
  
"We don't lose that many points," Ron sniffed.  
  
"Mate, I lose at least a thousand a year," Harry said with a laugh.  
  
"It's Snape!" Scarlett glanced at Ron in confusion. "Professor Snape doesn't like Harry," Ron explained. "He likes to take points from him and Hermione and I for just existing."  
  
"But he's perfectly nice to me," Scarlett insisted. "And he didn't seem too disgruntled this summer."  
  
"Yes, well... you'll see what we mean in class on Monday," Ron stated. "He hates Harry."  
  
Oh. They all offered her congratulations, but she couldn't help but wonder if Severus would be disappointed. He was Head of Slytherin House, afterall... didn't he want his daughter to be in Slytherin, as well?


	13. The Feast and Friends

"I'll be right back," Harry said suddenly. "I, uh, want to go check something out." He stood, reaching into his trunk overhead and pulling something out, tucking it into his jacket.  
  
"We're about to reach the station," Hermione insisted. "Can't it wait-?"  
  
"If we get to the station, go on without me. I'll catch up," Harry shrugged. He ducked out of the compartment before anyone could say another word.  
  
 Hermione sighed and grabbed her robes from a carry on bag. "We might as well get changed, Scarlett. We'll be at the station any minute." Scarlett agreed, grabbing her uniform and following Hermione to the loo, where a whole bustle of women were changing. "Oh!" Hermione gasped once she caught sight of Scarlett in her robes. "You already have the Gryffindor emblem. Fantastic!"  
  
Scarlett glanced in the mirror to see that she did, indeed, have a red and yellow lion stitched onto her sweater pocket. She actually rather liked it. "The red matches my hair," Scarlett said, giggling as she compared a lock of her hair to it. Hermione agreed and guided her back to the compartment, just as the train came to a halt.   
  
"Do we take our trunks?" Scarlett asked as Ron rose, changed as well, and headed towards the compartment door.  
  
"The elves bring them to the castle, to be inspected," Hermione explained. "Come on, we need to catch our ride." Ride?  
  
Hermione and Ron disappeared in the rushing crowd, that were desperate to get off the train and onto the platform. She had no idea where she was going. She hoped they would wait for her, that they would notice she wasn't with them.   
  
She was pushed roughly from behind and flew into someone, causing them to stumble as well.  
  
"I'm so sorry," Scarlett rushed out.  
  
Whoever she had run into turned around, and Scarlett was struck by the familiarity of his face. He was in the twin's shop during the summer... she never caught a name. "Do you make it a habit of running into people?"  
  
Scarlett didn't like how the sentence suggested he was annoyed. She swallowed, shaking her head. "No, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to-"  
  
"Hey, it's okay. It's always crazy. Everyone wants to get to the feast." The handsome man glanced behind her, his face turning into an expression of annoyance. "Oi, first year, slow down, will ya? We'll all be getting off the train." Scarlett glanced behind her as well, to see a young child, no doubt the first year he proclaimed him to be, eagerly trying to push forward, his hands on Scarlett's arm to push her forward.   
  
At the man's scolding, the hands retracted and Scarlett felt like she had a lot more personal space. "Thank you," Scarlett said gratefully.  
  
"Scarlett, right?" he asked.  
  
Scarlett nodded. "Yeah, I'm new this year-"  
  
"Cormac McLaggen," he introduced himself. He jumped down from the side of the train and glanced back, offering her his hand. At least she wouldn't trip. She took his hand, and jumped down.   
  
"Thank you," she said again. She straightened her robes, embroidered with the new Gryffindor emblem. She didn't know how they appeared on the robes, but they were there.   
  
"Oh, you're in Gryffindor?" Cormac asked in surprise. "Awesome. I am, too. Would you like to-"  
  
"Scarlett!" Ginny called. Scarlett looked in the direction of the voice to see Ginny standing with a tall dark-skinned man, waving to get Scarlett's attention.   
  
"I should go see what she wants," Scarlett admitted. "Thank you.... for warding off the first year."  
  
Cormac seemed amused, but nodded and looked over the crowd to find some of his own friends. Scarlett left him, smiling when Ginny was within arms reach. She couldn't spot Hermione or Ron, nor Harry, who had disappeared.   
  
"I thought I got lost," Scarlett admitted.   
  
"Never," Ginny grinned. She tugged on the dark-skinned man's arm. "This is Dean Thomas, my boyfriend."  
  
Scarlett smiled at the man, and though she knew Ginny fancied Harry, Dean seemed like a nice man. "It's nice to meet you. Ginny's told me a lot about you."  
  
"Don't believe anything she says," Dean declared. "She likes to exaggerate."  
  
Ginny giggled, rolling her eyes. "Come on, guys. Let's get a carriage before they've all gone. I do not want to walk to the castle."  
  
They found a carriage, and Scarlett couldn't help but stare at the creature that pulled it. It was a black color, and looked as though tar had been poured over an emaciated horse... that had wings, of course. Yet, despite its frightening appearance, it was enchanting. It had a ... certain majesticness to it. The creature wasn't one she expected was widely loved.   
  
"What is that?" Scarlett asked Ginny quietly. "Pulling the carriage."  
  
Ginny paused, Dean climbing into the carriage and offering a hand to her. "There's nothing pulling the carriage, Scarlett."  
  
"Yes there is," Scarlett said, confused. "It's like a horse, but it has wings and its black and leathery-" She glanced at Ginny, seeing the girl had no idea what she was talking about. "Maybe I'm just tired... Forget about it."   
  
"Luna mentioned something pulling the carriage," Dean said, offering his hand to Scarlett as well once Ginny was aboard the carriage. Scarlett smiled in thanks. "Though I wouldn't take what she says with a grain of salt. Great girl, but a little looney."  
  
"She seems nice," Scarlett said quietly, unsure if defending the girl would cause Dean to begin to criticize her.   
  
"Oh, she is," Ginny insisted. "She's one of my best friends. But she is a little... well, odd sometimes."   
  
The carriage gave a jolt as whatever pulling it began to move and Scarlett jumped slightly at the suddenness of it. A few paces, though, and the rocky ride evened out, as well as quieted. "Oi! Wait up!" a voice cried. "I'm not walking to the castle!"   
  
It was... Scarlett squinted at the group of three Gryffindors running after the carriage. Cormac, and two of his friends.  
  
"Ugh," Ginny muttered. "I thought he graduated."  
  
"Year above me," Dean muttered. "He'll be gone after this year." Did they not like Cormac? The three running men caught up to the carriage and Scarlet scooted over as they hopped aboard, the three men seating themselves around the other three Gryffindors.   
  
"Hope you don't mind," Cormac said, glancing towards Scarlett. "We didn't feel like walking the whole way."  
  
"Not at all," Scarlett said, a small smile offered in return, before Ginny could say something that said the negative. "Is it a long ride, to the castle?"  
  
"About a half hour," Dean shrugged. "Not too bad. First years take a boat across, which takes about an hour."   
  
"I should probably introduce my friends," Cormac said suddenly. "Guys, I met Scarlett on the train. Scarlett, this is Julian and Marius. Gryffindors."   
  
"It's nice to meet you," Scarlett said politely.   
  
"So, you're new then?" Marius asked, and his dark hair, tossled, flipped as he leaned forward to get a better look at Scarlett. He pushed up the glasses on his nose, assessing her. "I heard rumors that Gryffindor was getting a transfer student. Where did you transfer from?"  
  
"She was homeschooled," Ginny answered stiffly before Scarlett had the chance. Homeschooled. Scarlett would have to remember that.  
  
"A Weasley?" Marius asked again, glancing towards Ginny.  
  
"Oh, no," Scarlett said, shaking her head. "I only wish. My parents... My mother died when I was very young and-"  
  
"Mine did too," Julian said suddenly. "In the war." He was blonde, resembling Cormac in that regard, but his hair was much lighter, as though he had spent some time in the sun. "Sucks." She didn't know how to respond.  
  
"So, are you going to be playing for Gryffindor this year?" Dean asked conversationally.  
  
"Going to certainly try," Cormac answered. "Now that Potter's captain, that is. Wood's gone, and Johnson's replacement." Scarlett didn't know what Wood or a Johnson had to do with anything.   
  
"What was wrong with Wood?" Ginny demanded. "Too intense for you?"  
  
"No," Cormac said carefully. "He was keeper... that's what I play."  
  
"Oh," Ginny said, whatever fire she had found in his statement, gone. She cleared her throat in embarrassment, glancing towards the trail up ahead. "Right. I knew that."  
  
"Can you give us any shot at the Cup?" Cormac seemed to glow a bit, and a smile touched his lips, but not in a nice way, but rather a condescending way.  
  
"I certainly think so," he answered to Dean's question. The rest of the carriage ride was silent and Scarlett doubted it was any less awkward to everyone. Her eyes caught sight of the castle as they turned the corner and she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her at the sight of it. It was gorgeous. The office of the Headmaster offered no such sight as this. This was...   
  
"First time seeing it?" Dean asked. "A beauty, isn't she?"  
  
Each window along the entire castle was lit up in a warm, yellow glow. Each turret and tower and rooftop contrasted against the brightly lit, starry sky. She could see a glittering lake with black dots slowly approaching. That must have been the boats. And the closer they drew to the castle, the more detail became apparent. Huge gargoyles, large details carved into the columns and gothic style architecture.  
  
The carriage came to a sudden halt and every scampered out, Scarlett quick to follow, as she didn't want to get lost. Ginny linked arms with her, pulling her up the stone path until they reached a rather elegant courtyard, with a large archway luring her inside.  
  
"Ready?" Ginny grinned at the red-head. Scarlett nodded and they stepped through the large doors, presenting Scarlett to the school she had been away from for eighteen years. The hall they stepped into first was dark, and there wasn't much to notice other than the large statue situated in front of an equally enormous stained glass window. But it was the lit room, full of laughing and talking children, that she was interested in.   
  
"This is where we eat?" Scarlett whispered.  
  
"I know it pales in comparison to the Burrow," Ginny grinned. "But we make do."  
  
Scarlett giggled, staring up at the ceiling immediately following their entrance. There was a sky, but she could see the rafters as well. Merlin... this was magic. Candles were floating above each table, and gargoyles guarded the walls, and banners hung from the ceilings, and plate after plate was laid out on the tables, and the colors, and the sounds, and the happiness.   
  
She felt her breath leave her and she couldn't take it all in. "You'll get used to it," Ginny promised, pulling her further into the room, towards a few empty seats, where Scarlett spotted Ron and Hermione. "Where's Harry?"  
  
"He said he'd meet us," Ron shrugged.   
  
"We caught the last carriage," Ginny said confused. "He's probably walking then. He'll get here just when the first years do then." They didn't seem to concerned, so Scarlett figured it was normal. She stared up at the ceiling and was drawn towards the table at the end of the hall, where all of the teachers were seated. She spotted her father, brooding, looking as though he despised the world.   
  
Scarlett was introduced to other members of her house, including those on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and then her fellow classmates, Seamus, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Romilda Vane, and everyone else seated in their vacinity.   
  
The hall started to hush and Scarlett noticed that Professor Dumbledore had risen and was making his way to the podium, with a large bird nestled underneath. "If everyone would please give a warm welcome to this years first year class for their sorting ceremony." Doors opened suddenly and a tall, severe woman was walking into the room, with a group of fifteen to twenty children trailing behind her, looking as awed as Scarlett imagined she did not even a few moments ago.   
  
Scarlett watched the sorting with fascination as the woman, whom she learned was Professor McGonagall, placed a worn, tattered hat upon each child's head. And whatever house the hat would shout, screams of excitement would spurt up. Scarlett spotted several new additions to the Gryffindor house, talking to each other excitedly and greeting each other as if most of them were already best friends.   
  
Did houses mean unity? Friendship? She didn't think so. Harry had told her that many people from all different houses were friends.   
  
Once the feast began, to which Scarlett jumped at the sudden arrival of food, everyone dug in. "Can I ask you something?" Scarlett asked Ginny, seated beside her.  
  
"Of course," Ginny said brightly.  
  
"How does the hat know where to place you?"  
  
"It sort of goes in your mind," she explained, reaching for the potatoes. "You have a bit of a conversation with it, it asks you a few questions, and based on your answers, and whatever you're thinking about, it places you at a house that best matches you."  
  
"That's amazing," Scarlett breathed, glancing back to where the tattered hat was resting on the stool, no longer in use.   
  
"It is, isn't it?" Ginny agreed. "I could hardly focus on anything my first night here. I wanted to see and touch everything. At least try the pudding. It's got something sweet mixed in."   
  
"Harry still isn't here," Hermione said flatly, glancing at the door.   
  
"He'll get here eventually, Hermione," Ron said, though his voice was muffled by the amount of food he was shoving inside of his mouth.   
  
"How can you be eating?" Hermione asked crossly. "Your best friend is missing!"  
  
"No, he's not. He's right there," Ron said, pointing his fork towards the doors. Scarlett turned quickly, spotting her half-brother pressing a white rag to his bloody nose, and Luna Lovegood trailing behind him with a dazed expression on her face.  
  
"Where have you been?" Hermione demanded as he sat himself down. "You missed the speeches."  
  
"I ran into Malfoy," Harry shrugged. "No big deal."  
  
"It doesn't look like nothing," Hermione snapped. "You've been bleeding everywhere."  
  
"It stopped. I'm just trying to clean-"  
  
A flick of Hermione's wand had him looking bright and new and Hermione sighed. "McGonagall will be furious." Harry didn't seem to mind. Dinner drew to a close and first years were asked to follow the prefects, meaning Ron and Hermione, and Scarlett was left with Ginny, Harry, and Dean, following them up the stairs towards the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
"This years password is Arcana," Ginny stated brightly to the portrait. The rather large woman nodded in agreement and then the portrait swung open, causing Scarlett to jump at the movement.   
  
"This is Gryffindor Common Room," Harry told her, gesturing inside. She stepped over the threshold carefully and tried to take in all of the red furniture and tapestries, but found it difficult. She had so much to see in such short time. "Or, as I call it, home. We mostly play chess, Exploding Snaps, throw parties, and do homework in here. Or just hang out. An all in one, really. Our dorms are up the stairs, Ginny can show you later."  
  
"Professor Dumbledore wanted to see me after the feast," Scarlett told Harry, biting her lip. "I hate to ask, but I don't know where his office is... could you, maybe-"  
  
"Sure," Harry said brightly. He waved to Ginny and his friends before taking her hand and pulling her through the portrait and out into the busy hall. "I get lost a lot, and I've been going here for five years. So, I can wait, if you want, for you to get out for the night."  
  
"Oh, um... that won't be necessary, I don't think. If I get lost, I'll just call a house-elf or something..." She didn't want him to wait. She had no idea how long the meeting would last and if it was too terribly late... he seemed to be in a hurry for the next day already.   
  
"If you're sure." Harry pulled her up the stairs until they reached another hallway, one which seemed to stretch on for a while. "Do you like it so far?"  
  
"It's all so exciting," Scarlett answered, glancing around. There was a stretch of windows beside her, showing her the moonlight ravine underneath. "And beautiful. I never would have imagined such a beautiful place in all of my life... You must love it here very much."  
  
"It's my home," Harry said simply, taking a turn away from the windows and down a dark corridor lit dimly by torches. "Always has been, since I was eleven. Living with the Dursleys was... well, it sucks. This place gives me... freedom."  
  
"I know what you mean," she said quietly, thinking of how much freedom she'd have now. "I like it already. I can already see a year full of fun, and next year... it's going to be great, Harry."  
  
"I know it will," Harry agreed. They stopped suddenly and Harry released her hand. "This is the headmaster's office... Did he give you a password?"  
  
"Um..." Scarlett shook her head. "Ron and Hermione just said to meet him in his office... Do I need a password?"  
  
"That's how the stairs are revealed," Harry admitted. He hesitated for a moment before straightening his shoulders and stating in a firm voice. "Sugar Quills."  
  
Nothing happened, like Scarlett, and it seemed Harry too, had been expecting. "Blood Pops?" "Lemon drops?" "Okay, this has to be it, Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Bean."   
  
"Will he be terribly angry if we don't ever get in?" Scarlett questioned.  
  
"I find, Mr. Potter and Miss Prince, that Honeydukes is a magnificent place to buy sweets, so if that is what you're looking for, you won't find it in the middle of a dusty old corridor." Scarlett spun around to see the elderly man she had talked to only just a few nights ago, standing there in his periwinkle robes. His eyes were twinkling as he gazed down at the pair of them.  
  
"I'm-" Scarlett began to apologize, getting out of his way as he began to approach the gargoyles. But they had sprung apart at the Headmaster's words and her own words died in her throat. A staircase was twisting and building up as the teens looked on.   
  
"Mr. Potter, I hate to break this news to you, but this is a meeting I must have with Miss Prince. We will see each other at breakfast, I'm sure."  
  
"Of course, professor. I was just showing her where your office was," Harry said smoothly. He glanced at the red-head, unsure. "Are you sure you'll find your way back?"  
  
"I take the hallway and turn left, and then follow that until I get to the portrait. Once I'm there, I take the stairs down until I get to the Friar." Harry nodded slowly, before taking a step back.   
  
"Good night, then."  
  
"Goodnight," Scarlett said in parting, before she began to follow the Headmaster up the stairs. It was very much like the last time she had been lead up the stairs, only this time, less forcefully. The smell of lemon became stronger the higher up the stairs they traveled, until they came to a small room with a wooden door before them. A wave of Dumbledore's hand caused it to open and he led them through.


	14. Late Night Discussions and Opportunities

"You must be wondering why I wanted to talk to you."  
  
"It has crossed my mind," Scarlett admitted.   
  
He manuevered around his desk before gesturing to a chair. "Take a seat, Scarlett. Let us... well, let's discuss your schoolwork, first." Oh, schoolwork. She could do that. "I'm sure Severus has discussed with you what a normal course load would be."  
  
"Yes, sir," Scarlett nodded. "He says that he has already talked to Professor McGonigall about what classes I'd be taking."  
  
"Yes, everything will be on-level, with the fifth years until after you've taken your OWLs, this weekend." Dumbledore shuffled a few papers. "Severus seems to have confidence in your skill levels, and has already had you enrolled in NEWT level classes for all of the subjects, following OWLs... What is it you wish to do, Miss Prince?"  
  
She flushed slightly, glancing at her hands, which were clutched together. "I'd like to be a healer, sir... I want to help people." She glanced back up to the Professor, hesitating before she continued. "But I know I was supposed to have started training for that years ago, so... my second option is curse-breaking. I'm not very good at action, so Auror would be a bad idea... and I don't want to sit at a desk all day, like if I worked in the Ministry-"  
  
"Have you ever thought of teaching?"  
  
"No, sir, I've never thought of it... But I also don't think... I'd be very good. I'm a rather quiet person, and I'm not too fond of-"  
  
"I understand," the Headmaster interrupted. He shuffled a few more papers, fixing his glasses which were stretched out on his nose. Scarlett doubted he was able to see out of them, but he could, it seemed, for he looked back at her. "A healer, you say?"  
  
"Yes, sir... but-I understand that-"  
  
"It just so happens that Madame Pomfrey's apprentice just quit this summer," the Headmaster interrupted yet again. "And in doing so, she's free to teach another student the art of healing. I've discussed the matter with her, and praised your skills highly in learning very quickly. She's willing, if you're willing to study a five year course in two."  
  
"I..." She didn't know what to say. "I would like that very much. And I'll start studying right away to catch up-"  
  
"I will add it to your course schedule. Every day from the end of your last class until dinner, Madame Pomfrey will be expecting you in the infirmary. All you need to do is sign this document agreeing to the terms. I'll let you read it over tonight, first. No need to make hasty decisions. If you decide, after reading, that it is worth the risks, then present it to Madame Pomfrey tomorrow evening before dinner. She will discuss what you will need on top of your other course materials." He presented a thick piece of parchment to Scarlett, which she took hesitantly. "Now, here is a list of your classes... if there are any you wish to drop, to give you more time to study, or do homework, let me know by the end of next week. It's quite a course load."  
  
Scarlett glanced down at the other piece of parchment, surprised by the sheer amount of courses.   
  
She would be busy, that was for sure.   
  
"Sir, I heard there wasn't any Saturday classes, during the day. I know Astronomy is in the evening-" Scarlett began.  
  
"Yes, well, again, if you are willing to pursue all that you're taking an OWL in, the teachers will give you private instruction on Saturday for those Severus and I could not fit in the weekdays." Scarlett nodded to herself, looking over the schedule. She had nearly twelve hours every night for any homework she didn't finish on Sundays, and she had meal-times... Scarlett doubted there would be much of a struggle, if she kept on top of her work.   
  
"I like the challenge, sir," Scarlett said after a moment, glancing back up to the Headmaster. "It looks like a good schedule."  
  
"Now, Monday morning, I'll have Miss Granger guide you around the castle, showing you where each of the classrooms are for both schedules. It may take up to two class periods, so I've notified all of your morning class teachers of your potential late arrival."  
  
"Sir, I thought my father was teaching Defense..." She glanced up. "This has me going to him for potions three times a week."  
  
"Yes, you see, I was wondering when you'd ask," Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes postively twinkling now. "Your father, since the Dark Lord is so interested in you, has decided that a bit of private instruction in other methods, such as Occulmency, self-defense, and anything else you both may find useful would be a good idea... I can't say that I blame him. Three periods a week in such practice can also help shape you for any studying time you may need, also. I suspect you won't be studying with Severus the entire Potions sessions. He may give it to you as free time. Now," He rubbed his hands together, as if to warm them, before rising and moving towards the wall of portraits, "since that is cleared away, I'd like to ask something of you."  
  
"Anything, Professor."  
  
"I'd be sure not to give persmission for someone to ask you anything, Miss Prince. One must use percaution in promising things to someone." The Headmaster gazed at the portraits a moment before turning back to her. "The Dark Lord will want to ... shape you... Mold you exactly to what he wants you to be." She swallowed. "You mustn't let him. Let him think he has changed you, that he has created the perfect Death Eater with you, but do not believe what he says."  
  
"All I am to the Dark Lord is a way to ensure Severus complies."   
  
"Precisely," Dumbledore nodded. "I'm glad you've come to that conclusion yourself. And he will use your father to make you comply... Don't. Severus can handle much, but he won't be able to if he sees you break. Do you understand?"  
  
"I mustn't let him use Severus against me," Scarlett repeated, nodding. She knew that showing any signs of resistance, due to the torture of a family member, led to greater torture. She had seen it with the Malfoys. "Sir, are you proposing I do what my father does? Work for both sides?"  
  
"I fear you will have to, whether I propose it or not. The Dark Lord will not let such an intelligent, beautiful girl go, especially if he chooses to invest his time into ensuring you are loyal." Scarlett doubted so, too. "And you are simply wishing to do too much good in the world to completely give up the Order's ideals. You will always have the Order's support, Scarlett. I hope you know that." She nodded. She felt as though she had the Weasleys, at least. "So... with that being said, I do hope you make the right choices."  
  
"What if I do not know which is the right or wrong choice, when presented the options? What if the Dark Lord gives me a set of options, and I choose what he wants me to do... and I cannot back out from that choice?" She had been thinking of what doing something seen as an act of betrayal to the Weasleys would do... if it would make her nothing more than the people they fought so hard against. "If the Dark Lord were to present me the option of a Mark or death, for example-"  
  
"You would choose the Mark, and wisely so," Dumbledore agreed, approaching her. "To deny it, could endanger Severus, as well as end your life. You are much too valuable to the Order for that to happen. You would be the secret weapon... Our secret weapon. With the Mark, Scarlett, you could find out everything, and he'd share it with you, because he believes that you are loyal to him, that you view him as your savior." She nodded. "So, if presented the option, I would support you getting the Mark. You do not have to do so, you may deny it if you wish, but doing so... accepting it, would present a lot of options to you. And many of them are in the Order's favor."  
  
She nodded again, glancing at the parchment in her hands. So many options already. "How are my extra classes going to be explained to the Dark Lord? Did my father come up with a plan?"  
  
"Your extra potion lessons are to catch you up on potions that could not be brewed over the summer due to legality and potency issues. Your healing lessons were done after much persuading of Madame Pomfrey and yourself. You know that many Death Eater wives have learned some level of the art of healing... you wish to prepare yourself for whatever you may come across." It made sense. "Any other questions we will deal with when given to us."  
  
"And my OWLs, sir, you said I would be taking them this weekend. I haven't any idea on where or the time."  
  
"Oh, yes!" Dumbledore manuevered once more to his desk. "That's what I'm forgetting. Your OWLs will take place right after breakfast in my office. I've loaned it to the Ministry for the occassion." He handed her a small envelope. "Open this when you're back in your dormitory. It will have the instructions as to what to expect and also studying tips. Also a schedule of what exam will take place, and when. Ten minute breaks will occur between each, and time is set aside for a quick lunch in my office, as well... You won't be seeing much of you friends then."  
  
"That's alright, sir I was planning on my weekend mostly consisting of reading ahead for this year anyway," Scarlett said brightly. She placed the envelope on her lap. "Is there anything else, sir?"  
  
"Your father has a very stiff and abrupt way of teaching," Dumbledore said gently. "I don't want this to frighten you... he won't be the same man you saw over the summer. He must keep his distance due to the Slytherin's watching his moves and reporting anything strange to the Dark Lord, or their parents. So, don't expect him to be as kind as he was over the summer."   
  
"I know, sir,"  Scarlett said after a moment. "I noticed the change in his demeaner at the dinner tonight. He's much more displaced from the situation."  
  
"Yes, that is a good way to describe it," Dumbledore agreed. "I believe that is all I have to tell you this evening, unless you wish to ask me any questions?"  
  
"I can't think of any at the moment," Scarlett admitted.  
  
"Well, you're welcome back to ask me at any time, or you can simply send me a message through a house elf. The elves love delivering secret messages, I've found. I use them to communicate with the staff about surprise birthday parties for your father." She giggled, imagining that her father didn't quite appreciate it. "Every year he becomes more and more surprised."  
  
"More likely surprised you keep trying, sir," Scarlett laughed.   
  
"Indeed. Well, if that is all, then I should turn you over to get to bed. It is growing late and you have quite a lot to ponder this evening."  
  
She told the Professor good night before she shut the wooden door quietly behind her. Then, she began the lonely trek to the Gryffindor Common Room, barely glancing up as she read the Apprenticeship contract in her hands. She couldn't wait to tell Harry and Hermione about what she was going to be studying, but keeping the private lessons, she decided, a secret, would be wise.  
  
They would ask too many questions.  
  
When she reached the dormitory, everyone was mostly asleep, but Ginny was up and showed her where she would be sleeping, which was much more elaborate than Scarlett imagined. Her bed was equiped with curtains, blankets, and everything else she'd need. And Leo was sprawled on the pillow, purring in content.   
  
"Night, Scarlett."  
  
"Goodnight, Ginny," Scarlett returned quietly, manuevering around the half open trunks of a few of the sleeping girls, and she sat down on her bed, drawing the curtains shut around her. And then she cast a lumos on her wand and began to read the contract presented to her.  
  
It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.


	15. Breakfast and Adventures

Hermione exhaled at the schedule Scarlett brought to breakfast, as well as the contract Scarlett had signed, reading over both a few times. 

"This is quite the courseload," Hermione commented.

"My father recommends it, and he understands what my abilities are, so... I think I'll be fine," Scarlett admitted. "I have a week of regular courses, and then after my OWLs, I'm on a NEWTs schedule."

"Will you be getting your OWL scores right away?"

"Sunday evening," Scarlett nodded. "So last minute schedule changes may occur, but I don't expect too many changes to happen." She glanced back at the parchment of guidelines and rules she was expected to follow. "I'm most excited for my healer classes. It's going to be gruelling, and every day until term ends, but it'll be the most hands on and I'll be learning something that I can use everywhere - not just spells and stuff, but how to save someone's life-"

"What if you can't do everything?" Harry interrupted. "Can you drop them?"

"A week after my NEWTs classes start, that's my deadline to drop any classes I think are unnecessary, or that I can't handle," Scarlett recited. "But I have all day Sunday to do homework, and any time after my apprenticeship, and meals. Ron is doing his essay for tomorrow right now at breakfast," Scarlett glanced to the red-head boy that was scribbling furiously.

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded. "I thought you finished that weeks ago!"

"Forgot," Ron shrugged. Hermione exhaled, giving the pieces of parchment back to Scarlett.

"Well, I say it's wonderful, if you can do it all and not over strain yourself." She sighed and glanced at her own schedule. "I've dropped Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, and Care of Magical Creatures." She glanced towards where McGonigall was. "Do you think she'd let me add-"

"No," Ron said simply. "She said that when she made it and you kept changing your mind." Ron finished a sentence on his parchment in a flourish before rolling it up. "So, no."

Scarlett giggled at her expression, before glancing down at her breakfast. She had nearly eaten two full servings, and her stomach was nearing the point of exploding. "I'd imagine you need a tour of the castle," Hermione said. "McGonigall mentioned giving it to you tomorrow, but I don't see why I can't show you around today. More time, and we won't miss any classes."

"That's fine with me, but I don't want to take time out of your day-"

"Nonsense!" Hermione insisted. "I'm a prefect for a reason. We'll go after breakfast."

"Alright."

"Oh, bloody hell!" Ron groaned as he spilled his pumpkin juice, getting the rolled up piece of parchment wet. From where Scarlett was, she could see the ink already beginning to run. Yet, she couldn't help but giggle at the disbelieving expression on Ron's face.

"Find it funny, do you, slave girl?" a voice very different from Ron's spoke up. She jerked sharply, glancing behind her to see Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle leering at her from the Slytherin table beside the Gryffindor. "I imagine anything's funny when a ginger monkey screws up." Scarlett turned back around, taking a calming breath and doing her best to ignore them. "Oi, do I have to order you to answer me?"

"No, you don't," Scarlett said carefully, her voice firm to hide her fear of the two of them. "I am no longer a servant. You, on the other hand, are still a-"

"We ought to teach you a little lesson in respect," Goyle interrupted, laughing and smacking Crabbe on the arm. "What do you say-"  
  
"Touch her, and you deal with me," Harry spoke up, rising and staring at the Slytherin table. When Scarlett glanced behind her, she saw that no one seemed to be coming to the two boys defense. She didn't feel sorry in the slightest.   
  
"How about this, Potter?" Crabbe spat back. "You stay out of this and I'll do whatever I want." He smirked, giving Scarlet a once over. "Isn't that right, poppet? Still no word on Ty-"  
  
"Wouldn't know," Scarlett cut off quickly, but keeping her face neutral. "I do highly suggest you stay out of my business."  
  
"Suggest?" Goyle's smirk grew. "I'd say that's permission to keep delving, if you ask me."  
  
"Do you even know what delving means?" Scarlett returned, swinging her body around so that her legs were straddling the bench. They didn't seem deterred, not even when her wand slipped out of her robe pocket.  
  
"It sounds like permission to butt out, if you ask me," a new voice drawled, Scarlett's gaze turning to the blonde man that she had sort of lived with for eighteen years of her life. Draco Malfoy. "Stop tormenting the servant," he snapped at Crabbe and Goyle. "Pick on someone else, instead... like the Mudblood." He looked tired, weak, pale... something he hadn't been the last she had seen him. Perhaps something had changed overnight.   
  
The two oafs turned around in their seats, grumbling to their housemates. Draco, standing between the two tables still, seemed uncomfortable as many eyes were on him. "You know better than to raise to their bait," he said after a moment.  
  
She snorted, swinging her leg back under the table. "It's not my fault you hang out with idiots." She heard a sound escape him, that sounded like a breath, but she knew him well enough to know that it was a poorly concealed laugh. "Thank you, by the way, for the cat. He's lovely." She glanced towards him, to see him nod once before sliding into a seat next to Blaise Zabini, who had also just arrived.  
  
Breakfast was cut short quickly after that, and Scarlett was given an extensive tour of the castle, of which she sketched the paths to each class in her notebook, making sure she didn't forget. She even made a path between all of her classes, for each day, on both schedules. She wasn't going to be getting lost. She was determined.  
  
As Harry, Ron, and Hermione decided to venture to Hagrid's Hut, Scarlett opted to stay in the Common Room to finish reading her NEWTs Arithmancy book. It was then that Lavender decided to intercept her.

Lavender Brown seemed particularly interested in Scarlett. Scarlett didn't know why, but if making friends was this easy, Scarlett felt confident that she could meet at least a few new people. Lavender had asked Scarlett to choose a bed beside her that morning, making Romilda happily move and smiled sweetly as Scarlett returned from the walk around the castle exhausted and wanting to relax in the bedroom for a while.

Scarlett didn't know people could be so nice. 

"So," Lavender said brightly, sitting at the foot of the red head's bed, just an hour before lunch time. "Any boys catch your fancy?" Scarlett raised an eyebrow at the very different question, one she perhaps expected from Ginny, but not from a near stranger.

"I'm sorry?" Scarlett asked, setting the book down.

"Find any boys that you think are cute?" Lavender rephrased. She was still smiling brightly, looking as though she was genuinely interested. Maybe she was. 

"I... I don't know," Scarlett admitted. "I only met a few people last night and this morning."

"And none of them? Seamus? Dean?"

"Seamus is very nice to me, and Dean is as well. Him and Ginny are great together," Scarlett answered kindly. She bit her lip as Lavender's smile faltered slightly.

"No, I mean, would you want to date any of them?"

"I... don't know," Scarlett admitted. "I don't really know them. I've been told not to start dating until my studies are more routine. I need to understand how much free time I have with all of my courses."

Lavender looked slightly miffed, but pressed on. "I saw you talking to Cormac on the train... And in Weasley Wizard Wheezes over break."

"Oh, we ran into each other," Scarlett explained. "At Fred and George's. And on the train as well. I bumped into him in the crowd."

"I see," Lavender said almost to herself. "Do you think he's attractive?"

"Everyone's attractive in their own way," Scarlett answered. "Why do you ask? Do you think he's attractive?"

"Cormac is the most attractive man in this school," Lavender told her simply. "We used to date, last year. He's very good."

"He does seem like a good person," Scarlett agreed. "But so is Neville. I mean, they're the only people I met last night, but they seem like good people."

"You hugged Blaise Zabini on the train. Is he a friend of yours? Are you dating him?" Lavender pressed suddenly, leaning forward slightly on her knees. Scarlett drew back a little.

"No, he's... sort of an aquaintence," Scarlett said carefully. "That's all."

"Now, I don't believe that," Lavender giggled. "You don't hug Harry or Ron, and word has it you've lived with them all summer." Word had it? "It's okay to like a Slytherin, you know. Zabini's really good in the sack." Lavender seemed pleased with Scarlett's surprised face. "If I were you, I'd consider sleeping with him. He's completely worth it. Or Cormac."

"I think it's time for lunch," Hermione's voice sounded sharply. Scarlett jumped in fright, her book falling to the ground. Hermione was standing in the doorway and she was glaring at Lavender. "Some people, Brown, don't worry about sleeping with anyone that will have them." Hermione glanced at Scarlett. "Come on, Scarlett, let's head to the library before lunch. I want to see if they have this book."

Scarlett quickly deduced that Hermione did not like Lavender. She slid off of her bed, grabbing her book and other things she'd need if she were to not come back before she went to the infirmary. She followed Hermione out of the dorm, and they began the trek down three flights of stairs.

"Um, Hermione?" Scarlett questioned.

"Yes?"

"I was thinking of going to the library after lunch," Scarlett said. "So if I disappear for a while, I'm just trying to study for my OWLs. And I'd rather do it alone, if you don't mind. I study better alone, in silence. I know my way back to the Great Hall, and to the Common Room, so I won't need any help getting around."

"If you're sure," Hermione said after a moment. "I'm glad you're taking the time to study. The boys would never be so responsible." Scarlett wasn't going to study, though. Blaise had wanted to meet her, to go over what they needed to do to find Tyler. "I'll leave you alone then, after lunch. And I'll distract the boys."

"Thank you," Scarlett said gratefully. When they entered the library, her eyes immediately found Blaise, seated in the back corner beside a bright window, a few books stretched out in front of him. He glanced up at their entrance, but seeing her company, acted as though it wasn't interesting.

"Come on, it's over here," Hermione said, pulling Scarlett to the opposite side of the library. Her eyes skimmed book titles, trying to find anything that resembled lost family finding. But they were in a section that catered specifically to tree roots. It only took Hermione a minute to find the book she was looking for and head for the librarian. Scarlett admitted she wanted to look at the books for a minute, but she'd meet Hermione at the doors. 

She purposefully approached Blaise under the guise of looking at books and once she was near him, stated quietly. "I can be back after lunch... if you are going to be here."

"Course," Blaise murmured. "See you at lunch." She nodded, a smile appearing, as she turned away from the bookshelf she was at and abruptly moved towards the door of the library. Hermione was watching her closely, almost suspiciously, but didn't say anything, like Scarlett expected. So they continued to lunch in silence, and Scarlett was quite thankful.


	16. The Search is On

She bid her goodbyes to her friends, climbing the stairs to the library with Blaise a few feet in front of her. When she entered the library, he was at the same table, and a large pile of books were stacked.   
  
She loved research. "Hello," Scarlett said quietly, standing opposite him, her gaze focused solely on the man seated there. He glanced up from a piece of parchment and his quill, a twitch touching his lips.  
  
"Buon giorno." Italian. She knew that much. "Welcome to Hogwarts."  
  
"It's fantastic, here," she admitted.   
  
"Take a seat," he offered, gesturing towards the books. "These were all I could find this morning."   
  
"And they're all...?" She read the titles quickly, nodding to herself. "To find him."  
  
Blaise exhaled and nodded. "It took a while, but I grabbed as many as I could. Do you know anything about where he could be?"  
  
"No," Scarlett admitted, wondering if she should. "Is there someway I could know?" she questioned. "Like a ... a mental connection, maybe? By blood? Would it be stronger if we both were to do it-"  
  
"No such thing exists," Blaise said quietly. "I was just wondering if Lucius dropped a hint, or Narcissa or the elves or something."  
  
"No," Scarlett said, equally as quiet. Her gaze turned to the desk and she twisted her hands in her lap. "I wish I knew. All I know is that he is alive. Lucius told me he died, that I would never see him again. And Narcissa... she didn't know what happened, so Lucius didn't tell her whatever it was. And I highly doubt Draco would know. It was before break, so he wasn't even home."   
  
Blaise nodded, grabbing a book and placing it in front of him. "So, he's alive. That's a place to start. We just need to fill in the gap between eight months old and now." She nodded and grabbed another book. "We can work on summoning charms, and then we can try to find location devices, if that doesn't work..."   
  
She agreed and bent over the book, starting her reading. She learned many hings, but none that pertained to helping her find Tyler. Charms for tracking lost inanimate objects. Charms for tracking children, but it needed to be replaced every few days in order to stay in tact, so it wouldn't work. It needed to be physically placed on the child. Charms for finding classes if you're lost. Charms for finding pages in a book.  
  
"Nothing," Scarlett sighed, moving to another.   
  
"We'll find something," Blaise encouraged. "We're bound to. This can't be the first time something like this has happened." She smiled slightly. "Well, this can't be the first time a child's gone missing. Kindnappings, you know?" She sort of knew, but not in the sense most kindnappings perhaps occured. She was powerless. She had been powerless.   
  
"So, shouldn't we be looking into Auror records? Perhaps, of kidnapping cases?"  
  
Blaise shook his head. "Those records are sealed. We couldn't get to them even if we tried. Only Aurors are trained in criminal magic, and there aren't any books available to the public. It would be dangerous, as criminals would know all of the aurors tricks."   
  
Scarlett nodded, understanding. "But someone's bound to notice... perhaps... Dumbledore?"  
  
Blaise considered it a moment, pausing in the page he was reading. "Does he know about Tyler?"  
  
The question made Scarlett pause. Dumbledor certainly did not know, and telling him would mean that her father would find out shortly after... And her father would be so angry. He had asked her so many times, and she had lied... She shouldn't have. She should have been upfront about it. It would have helped them. Severus was bound to know something to help.  
  
"He doesn't," Scarlett admitted. "Would he be reliable? If anyone finds out about Tyler... if its spread around and the Dark Lord finds out, Blaise..." He paled slightly, understanding what she meant. "It wouldn't be good for either of us."  
  
"Agreed," Blaise nodded. "Let's keep searching and if we've run out of options... We can ask someone we trust. But only if we get to that point."  
  
Scarlett agreed. The less people that knew the better. And the better meant a better chance at finding him before someone else did. It could have saved his life, if he was in a bad condition. If he was in danger.  
  
Save his life.  
  
Scarlett gasped, nearly toppling her chair over as she hastilly stood. "Do you know what time it is?"  
  
"Nearly three."  
  
"I need to go to the Hospital Wing," Scarlett said, grabbing her bag, straightening the chair and placing the book she had been reading back by the pile. "I have to talk to Madame Pomfrey and-"  
  
"Are you hurt?" Blaise asked, looking her over.  
  
"No," Scarlett admitted. "I... I'm taking healer courses. And I have to give my apprenticeship contract to Madame Pomfrey before dinner and... Oh, Merlin, what if I'm late. I need to go. I'm sorry. I'll be back before dinner to help you put all of these away-"  
  
"Don't worry about it," Blaise insisted. "I can take care of it myself... I knew you would do great things, Scarlett."  
  
"Are you sure?" Scarlett pressed. "There must be about fifty-"  
  
"I'm sure," Blaise insisted. "Go ahead."   
  
She hesitated, but decided to humor him, nodding and thanking him for their research session, and she went in the direction Hermione had showed her the Hospital Wing was located. It was easy to find, and after climbing many stairs, she found the long stretch of the hallway before the large, heavy looking doors. Infirmary.  
  
She walked along it quietly, slowly, nervous. She had never met the woman that was offering such a large opportunity. She didn't even know much about her. But it was a new lesson, a new class, one that Scarlett had very little knowledge of.   
  
She didn't know if she should have knocked, but decided against it, pushing open the doors and slipping inside. It was silent, barren. Scarlett wondered if the woman was even here. "You must be Scarlett." Scarlett gasped, jumping. An older woman, near the same age as Professor McGonagall, was standing with a crisp white uniform on. "Sorry, dear, for frightening you." She assessed Scarlett, nodding once. "Have you looked over the contract, dear?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Scarlett said immediately. She pulled the contract out of her bag, offering it to the woman and Madame Pomfrey took it, surveying the signatured portion a moment. "I filled it out as accurately as I knew how to."  
  
"Any questions?" Madame Pomfrey asked.  
  
"Er, only one, I think," Scarlett admitted. "The information was divided into five years, and since I will be squeezing it into two, I was hoping this wouldn't be a burden to you. I would hate for that to be so."  
  
"Oh, I've done it before, and I'll no doubt do it again," Madame Pomfrey stated firmly. "Now, if that's all for questions, let's go to my office. We have much to discuss. I hope you've brought some parchment and a quill." Scarlett nodded. "Good, now, follow me." Scarlett was led to a small office where there were many folders stacked. "I won't waste time in having you organize my things. We don't have time for that. I usually have my apprentices do that their first few weeks to see if they want to stick around. Alphabetize and order all of my files..." Madame Pomfrey smiled. "You're lucky." She gestured for Scarlett to sit and the red-head did so, smoothing out her uniform skirt. "Now, again, any questions?"  
  
"Not at the moment, ma'am, but if any should pop up I'll be sure to ask," Scarlett admitted.  
  
"Good girl," Madame Pomfrey agreed. "Now there are ground rules. The first being the most important. What you see here is to be strictly confidential. No patient of mine will ever be discussed with your friends. Is that clear?"  
  
"Very."  
  
"You will address me as Madame Pomfrey, or Poppy, if there's ever an urgent situation. None of that ma'am nonsense. You will arrive promptly at four thirty in the afternoon everyday, including Sundays. We have absolutely no time to waste. Except for this Saturday, which is when I understand you're taking the OWLs. That means we'll just be going over basic things until those are over. I don't want to stress you outbefore the exams. Let's see... ah, yes, here's a list of required textbooks. I expect these books to be read in order, one book a week. Most can be found in the library, if you don't want to purchase a copy. Some of these books aren't cheap and I won't blame you."   
  
Madame Pomfrey paused, as if expecting questions, but Scarlett simply nodded, placing the list in her bag so she wouldn't lose it. "There are fourteen beds in the Infirmary, and many more that can be enlarged at a moments notice. Thankfully, we've only ever needed six at once, and that was a few years back. Eloise, my apprentice before you, was very squimish... I do hope that's not true for you."  
  
"Absolutely not," Scarlett admitted. "I've seen my fair share of gruesome things. Shrinking away isn't going to help them." Madame Pomfrey seemed very pleased with the answer.   
  
"Good. Now, I expect you to start reading tonight, and have up to the first three chapters read. I've looked over your course work so I understand that you'll be having a lot of studying for your other classes, so its best to get as ahead as you can in the beginning. There is no room for slacking off. If you think you cannot manage it, then I will be forced to fire you. I cannot wait for you to get the time, because you hang out with friends or want to go outside. We run a tight schedule in the Hospital Wing and I want it followed."  
  
"I understand," Scarlett answered. "I have a quick question." She cleared her throat as Madame Pomfrey encouraged her to continue. "If I were, will I be able to come earlier on Sundays. I don't have classes, and if I finish my other homework, I'd like to put as much time into this course as I can."  
  
"Oh, absolutely. Sundays are usually restocking days, and inventory, which I would love the help on. The faster that's finished, the more we can get into the more advanced healerwork." Scarlett liked the sound of that. "Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday evening, we will be studying hands-on healer work, including spellwork, potions, charms, etc. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, we will work on the many different types of healing. From mediwitch, to midwife, to crisis healer. Do you know exactly which field you like, so we can concentrate on it?"  
  
"I'd prefer standard healing, like what you do, or healers in St. Mungos... I'm just interested in saving or healing as many people as I can," Scarlett admitted. "So, if you have a recommendation on which angle I should take, I'm willing to listen to your intuition on the matter."  
  
"Then I'll teach you everthing I know, and then some," Madame Pomfrey stated. "Now, a sense of propriety is to be followed. Any major infraction against the school rules will result in the immediate suspension from the program. If you lose more than a hundred points in the course of a week, also, we will suspend you from the apprenticeship program."  
  
"I understand, Madame Pomfrey." She glanced down at her bag, pulling out another piece of parchment, and her quill. "Are there any materials, other than the texts, that I need?"  
  
"The school will provide you with healer robes, which will remain here, that you can change into when we do the hands-on activities. If there is anything else you will need, I will give you ample time to aquire it beforehand," Madame Pomfrey promised. She opened a large book on her desk. "Let's begin with what knowledge you do already have. Have you any experience in the healing field?"  
  
"I learned how to heal burns, minor cuts, and some other injuries. Broken bones I can make the pain go away, but my healing of them isn't advanced. ... Elves taught me most of it, so it's difficult for me to mimick their method, as I require a wand... and I didn't have one."  
  
"Ah, yes," Madame Pomfrey murmured. "So, if you had no wand, how is it you healed?"  
  
"Wandless, mostly. I wasn't trained, however, so my magic was very weak and it wouldn't work on many things for a long time. Just enough to seal a wound or make the pain go away." Scarlett blushed slightly at the raised eyebrow of the elderly woman. "I don't know much beyond that."  
  
"Good," Madame Pomfrey admitted. "We can start fresh. That's the best way to start." She scanned the contents of an old tome on her desk. "You know elf magic, then. That's good. It is the basis for what I start teaching with. We build from it, and then learn from it."   
  
"Who created healing magic first?" Scarlett questioned. "Elves, or witches and wizards? Do... do we delve into the history of healing magic, or is it strictly application?"  
  
"The history will be all in your reading, which I'll assign over Christmas break. It isn't important for learning what the magic is, I've found. And it's rather dry, so the less time we spend on it the better." Madame Pomfrey did smile, though. "The answer to your question is elves. House elves were owned by families in ancient times, and these elves would heal witches and wizards who were wounded, or sick, and over time, people would learn to heal as well." Scarlett was about to ask a question, but Madame Pomfrey continued. "It's nearly dinner time. I suggest you look in the library for the first book."  
  
"Thank you," Scarlett said, rising, knowing she was being dismissed. "I'll be here as soon as classes let out... Thank you so much for this opportunity. You won't regret this."  
  
"Oh, I certainly hope not. I've heard much about your skills. Your own father even assured me you were bright, and coming from Professor Snape, that is perhaps the highest compliment I've ever heard." Scarlett flushed, shaking her head. "Lily Evans was one of my students. She never pursued her healing education, but she studied it, and was very good at it..." Scarlett was surprised by the sudden offering of information. "You look very much like her."  
  
"I don't know why that would be," Scarlett said nervously. How did she know? There was no possible way she could know. "I assure you-"  
  
"I won't tell anyone, Scarlett, dear," Madame Pomfrey assured her. "It is almost obvious... be careful. The wrong people hearing that... it wouldn't be good."  
  
Scarlett swallowed. "I know."  
  
"Hurry up, before the library closes for the evening. I need to finish inventory."  
  
"Would you like any-"  
  
"No, no, but thank you. I'll teach you all about that starting tomorrow. Today is a free night."  
  
"Thank you," Scarlett answered, nodding slightly towards the woman, before she departed and headed towards the library. Perhaps Blaise was still there. If that was so, then she could help him put his books away, as well. Even though he told her not to worry... she still felt horrible for leaving him there with all those books to sort out.  
  
She reached the fourth floor and nearly tripped as she ran into someone.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" Scarlett gasped out, grabbing her bag as it fell on the floor. "I'm so clumsy, and I-"  
  
"Where were you?" Oh, it was her father. She straightened, placing the bag on her shoulder, and swallowing.  
  
"The Hospital Wing, talking to Madame Pomfrey about my healing courses." She tried to stand as straight as possible, and feel confident. "I was giving her the contract, Professor."   
  
"I see... Did she give you a book list?" Scarlett nodded, clutching her bag tightly. "May I see it?"  
  
"Oh! Of course!" She dug in her bag, presenting the list to him a second later. "It's a bit long, but it's five years of books, I suppose." His eyes scanned it, as if assessing what she was reading, almost if he was approving it. "I'm off to the library to get the first book, because I have reading for tonight. Classes are officially starting... Are all of my classes going to be this exciting?"  
  
"Not in the slightest. I think you'll find History of Magic particularly dull, as the professor has been dead for six hundred years." He made a noise and handed the parchment back to her. "These are all very interesting reads."  
  
"Sir, about the potions lessons," Scarlett said suddenly. "Will they be in the Defense room-?"  
  
"Yes," Severus said firmly. "Precisely in my room, and there will be a potions table set up with ingredients. We will go over what should be taught on our first meeting." Scarlett nodded, understanding. He watched as she tucked the parchment into her bag, before clearing his throat. "How has your day been?"  
  
"Fantastic," Scarlett said sincerely. "Everything's so beautiful, and the castle... I can't wait for the year to really kick off." She swallowed at the lack of any emotion on his face. "And your day, sir?"  
  
"Uneventful."  
  
"That's unfortunate," Scarlett said quietly. "I-I'm sorry for running into you earlier. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. To just about everyone. You probably have somewhere important to be and I'm just delaying you-"  
  
"Why would you assume I have somewhere important to be?" She shrugged lightly. "You have somewhere to be. The library will be closing soon. I'd hurry up."  
  
"Yes, sir. Um, right. Good evening."  
  
He nodded once and Scarlett hurried away, not wanting to bother him further. The library was nearly empty when she arrived, and she apologized to the library, who warned her she only had ten minutes and quickly set off to find the book she needed. Once she found it, she checked out, placed her book in her bag, and then spotted Blaise, putting two books back.  
  
"Do you need any help?" Scarlett asked, approaching him.  
  
"How were lessons?" he asked by way of answer.  
  
"Good," Scarlett admitted. "I think Madame Pomfrey likes me."   
  
"Of course she does," Blaise chuckled, placing the last book in his arms on the shelf. "You're Scarlett. Everyone likes you." Scarlett doubted that. Crabbe and Goyle definitely didn't like her. "Let's head to dinner."  
  
She blinked, but he was walking away. When he realized she wasn't following, he paused, glancing back at her. "Are you coming or what?"  
  
"Yes," Scarlett answered, though there was truly no need to. She caught up to him and they left the library together, her hands clutching the strap of her bag. "I didn't think you wanted to be seen with me," Scarlett admitted. "I am the slave girl to your friends, and... and that's not someone you or your friends wants to associate with."  
  
"Yeah, and I say they're idiots for thinking so. I don't have a problem with you. Neither does Draco. So, if they can't get over it, then that's their problem." Blaise sounded sincere and she appreciated it, smiling to herself as she glanced down at the steps under her feet, walking down the stones carefully. "It's not like being friends is illegal, is it?"  
  
"I... I don't think so," Scarlett admitted.   
  
"Good. Then there's no problem being seen in public. Do I have leprosy?" He gasped, glancing at her. "The girls in your dorm think I do, don't they?"  
  
She giggled, shaking her head. "No, of course not. Dragon pox, maybe."  
  
"It's always something. They're trying to fend you away from me." Blaise's tone took an air for the dramatics as he sighed and leaned on the bannister of the stairs, pausing. "What other rumors are there about me? I'm horrible at kissing? Il mio babbino caro, I killed someone, didn't I?"  
  
"No!" she laughed. She kept walking, leaving him behind. "I haven't heard anything about you really. Except for Lavender. She did mention you for a moment this morning, before lunch."  
  
"Oh?" Blaise asked. "Anything good?"  
  
Scarlett shrugged. "She said that I should sleep with you."  
  
"She didn't," Blaise said flatly.  
  
"Apparently she finds you very attentive," Scarlett giggled, watching as his shocked expression turned into embarrassment. "She sounded like she fancied you."  
  
"If there's one thing you need to learn about Lavender, its that once she dates a guy, she considers them hers forever and ever, until they break her heart." Blaise grinned. "Sounds like I have a good reason to break her heart-"  
  
"Oh, please don't," Scarlett insisted. "She's a nice girl. And she might think I said something to you- I don't want her to hate me."  
  
He shrugged. "Since you asked nicely." He turned down the steps and Scarlett could see the Great Hall in front of them. "She's a bit of a backstabber," Blaise warned. "And don't think I didn't see you talking to McLaggen."  
  
"What?" Scarlett asked, confused. "I ran into him on the train."  
  
"Is that all?" Blaise teased. "Seemed like more than that."  
  
"Was it?" Scarlett asked, confused. "We talked a bit on the carriage ride up, but that was all... Why? Do you not like him either? I don't think Ginny likes him."  
  
"He tends to hop around from lady to lady," Blaise shrugged. "Competative as hell, but I wouldn't say he's a bad guy. Him and Ginny sort of had a few sparring moments in Quidditch. And so, they're a bit tense around each other. He tends to fight a lot with just about everyone... stubborn. Not a bad thing, or anything." He shrugged. "Why the sudden interest in him?"  
  
"You brought him up," Scarlett defended. "And no sudden interest. I just don't know anything about him, so I'd like to know why people don't like him. I saw a bit of arrogance, but nothing to Draco's level." Blaise snorted at that. "Did you find anything?" The abrupt topic change brought him to a halt and she regretted bringing it up. "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. Of course you didn't, or you would have told me, by now-"  
  
"We're going to find Tyler, Scarlett, I promise you," Blaise said firmly. She knew they would. They had to. She wasn't going to give up. "We'll find him."  
  
She appreciated how confident he was. It gave her a boost as well. "I know we will. I just don't know when." She sighed and turned back to head to the Great Hall. "I just wish I knew if he was okay... That's all that worries me."  
  
"He's got to be," Blaise insisted. "Do you remember what he looks like?"  
  
"Dark skin, not as dark as yours, but ... like a mix, I'd say. And black hair. He took after you more than me," Scarlett muttered. "My eyes, though. And he has a birthmark on his foot, and that's all I remember. It's been so long... A year, almost."  
  
"He'll be two next April?"  
  
"Yes," Scarlett said quietly. "He's so old."  
  
"So are we," Blaise reminded her. They reached the doors to the Great Hall and Blaise turned to her, making her halt. "Same time next Sunday?"  
  
"Same time," she agreed. "Except I might have to leave a little early for healer lessons. I'm still not sure when I'm supposed to go to her on Sundays... So we'll see."  
  
"Alright. Bye, Scarlett."   
  
"Bye, Blaise." She watched him walk towards his table before she began to head towards her own. A few of her housemates seemed betrayed by her speaking to Blaise, in a friendly tone no less, and others were outright glaring. Particularly Lavender.   
  
"So... that was new," Ginny commented carefully.  
  
Scarlett shrugged lightly, watching everyone to stop staring. Harry said that interaction between houses was normal. "We ran into each other in the library... I was getting a book I need to read for homework-"  
  
"And you decided to walk down to dinner together," Ginny interrupted.  
  
"Er, yeah?" she bit her lip, noticing even Hermione looked slightly surprised. "What's wrong with that?"  
  
"Well, he's a Slytherin, isn't he?" Seamus piped up. Scarlett glanced towards him, three people down. "Bad lot."  
  
"Oh," Scarlett said quietly. But she knew Blaise wasn't bad. He was anything but.  
  
"Just don't be best mates with him," Harry told her simply, his word apparently law as everyone glanced away from her after he stated it so. He gave Scarlett a small smile, shrugging. "You have good intuition, so if he's okay to hang around, then I'll believe you."  
  
"We just ran into each other," Scarlett said simply. "It's not like we're best friends."  
  
She put some pork on her plate, glad, however, that the staring had stopped. And she tried to go about her meal as though nothing was different, but the Slytherins she could hear behind her, making snide remarks, made that nearly impossible.  
  
And it was only day one. 

 


	17. Gifts and Curses

She awoke to her feline pouncing atop her, seizing a piece of her red hair in its mouth as it began to chew and lick it. She groaned, trying to beat the cat away, not even bothering to open her eyes to see if it was truly her hair the cat was eating. She knew it was incredibly early, and that the sun hadn't even risen. This was mainly due to the fact that her bed was directly by the window that the sun would shine through in the mornings.  
  
"Leo, stop it," Scarlett muttered. The cat made a soft meow, jumping from her head towards the foot of the bed, where it meowed once more, just a tad louder. Perhaps he needed to get out of the room, and the door had locked? She sighed, opening her eyes and sitting up, to find that it wasn't a bathroom break the cat needed.  
  
Three piles of books were sitting at the foot of her bed, each taller than the next, bound in tweed. But they weren't course books... at least, none of the other girls. She pulled the string off of the first pile, hauling it onto her lap, and she began to look through all of the titles, finding that it was precisely the books she needed for her Healer course.   
  
Every single one. She fished the list out of her bag, resting on the table beside her bed, and ticked off each title. She even had the book she had borrowed from the library sitting in front of her. Merlin's beard... This had to have cost a fortune. When she was in Diagon Alley, each textbook for the more advanced classes was a galleon each.  
  
She unpacked the second pile to find supplement readings, books Madame Pomfrey didn't require, but books none-the-less of healing magic, elf magic, and even transversal healing. She was astonished. There had to have been at least twenty books sitting on her bed.   
  
The third pile was different, and gave her a clue as to who they were from. Severus. The first book was on Muggle defense techniques, another on duelling form and ettiquette, and yet another on wildlife and living, and then multiple books of occluding the mind and mind magic. Scarlett grabbed the self-defense book and opened it, finding a piece of parchment that was falling out, addressed to her.  
  
Scarlett,  
  
These books are what you will need for your courses this year. Keep them in good condition, as you will no doubt need them for the rest of your life. One of the piles is different from the others. This stack of books are what you will require for your extra lessons with Professor Snape.   
  
She didn't even remember that it was the first day of classes. She began to read the first few chapters of the self-defense book, finding it much more informative than most of her other books for her other courses. Everything was so hands-on, and the information so detailed that she could picture each technique in her head.   
  
"Scarlett?" Hermione said groggily. "What are you doing up so early?"  
  
"Sorry," Scarlett apologized, glancing up from her book. "Did I wake you?"  
  
"No... time to get up for classes," Hermione said, rolling over on her bed. Scarlett smiled, glancing back at her book to finish the chapter. By the time Scarlett did finish the chapter, Hermione was up truly this time, and was much more excited than before, darting around the room to get ready, pulling at Scarlett to as well.  
  
Scarlett took her time packing her things into her trunk and made sure a charm locked the books in, before Hermione gasped. "Scarlett... what did you do to your hair?"  Hermione seemed horrified when she truly got a good look at Scarlett. "I thought you were wearing a hat or something... Oh, Merlin."  
  
"What?" Scarlett asked, grabbing a few locks of her hair and tugging them towards her so that she could see them. Her eyes widened at the deep, dark blue her hair was. "Will it come out? Is it permanent?"  
  
"I-Hold still," Hermione said urgently. Scarlett obeyed, closing her eyes to get rid of the image of her hair. She loved her hair. The deep red was her favorite color, and apparently it was just the same shade as her mother's own hair. She controlled her breathing, not wanting to become panicked. It could be fixed. Scarlett had confidence in that. "Did you drink anything?"  
  
"No," Scarlett said honestly. "Not since dinner last night."  
  
"It's not going away... Maybe it will fade by breakfast?" Scarlett hoped so. "If not, it'll fade eventually."   
  
"You're sure?"  
  
"Yes, I'm positive. I can write to the twins, see if they have any products like it-" Hermione exhaled, and Scarlett turned to face her. "It's not bad... Just really blue."  
  
Scarlett giggled, glancing down at the blue hair. "Can you imagine Harry's face when he sees this? He's going to think I've started to rebel against Gryffindor."   
  
Hermione shook her head, gesturing for the girl to get ready. "I'll meet you at breakfast, then? I need to head to the library."  
  
"Of course," Scarlett nodded. Scarlett noticed that Lavender, Romilda, and Parvati were still asleep, so she made sure to be quiet as she dressed, and then she grabbed the healing book, as well as any books she'd need for her lessons today. Scarlett just knew that Ginny was in her first three classes, but afterwards, she didn't know much else about who was in her classes.  
  
So, she kept a calm demeaner as she walked towards the Great Hall, not running into anyone, just a few portraits that mumbled as she passed. She sat down at the breakfast table, not really looking at anyone - as there were hardly any people there in the first place - and noticed that those that were there were giving her weird looks. Hermione came in a second later, grimacing.  
  
"It still hasn't gone away."  
  
"I know," Scarlett admitted, opening her healing book to the middle, starting to read. "I hope it fades by classes, at least. I'd hate for a teachers first impression of me to be with blue hair."  
  
A throat cleared behind her, and Scarlett jumped, shutting her book. Everyone seemed to be sneaking up on her lately. It was her father, and he was glaring at the blue hair as though it was burning. Perhaps it was a bit frightful to look at.  
  
"Miss Prince, I hope you understand that changing one's hair color is a direct violation of the rules-"  
  
"But, sir, it was like this when she woke up," Hermione said quickly. "It... it's not fading, like I expected it would. Perhaps a Weasley product, but the twins haven't written back on if its a product or not..."  
  
"I see..." Severus seemed less than pleased. "Come with me, Miss Prince, we'll get this sorted."  
  
"Um, yes, sir," Scarlett said, rising and tucking the healing book into her bag, following him quickly as his robes billowed behind him. She rose from the table, glancing worriedly at Hermione. If it was a rule infraction, it would be ... it would go against her and Madame Pomfrey could very well dismiss her from the program. Scarlett sincerely hoped it would be sorted out. As she passed Gryffindor table, Lavender Brown chose that moment to walk in and when she spotted Scarlett she began to snicker and grabbed Parvati's arm, pointing to her hair.   
  
"You shouldn't have done that, Lav," Parvati hissed as Scarlett passed. Lavender? But the woman had been so nice to her before. Scarlett rushed to catch up with the Professor, trying to figure out why Lavender would have done such a thing. All that had changed between the two of them... when everyone had glared- Blaise? Lavender was angry with her because she had walked to the Great Hall with Blaise?  
  
"How long has it been like that?"  
  
"I don't know, sir," Scarlett admitted as they turned towards the Slytherin dungeons. Hermione only briefly mentioned the dormitory was down here. "I-I woke up like it, I suppose. I didn't even notice until Hermione spotted it. My hair was tied back."   
  
"And what did Miss Granger do to try to fix the problem?"  
  
"Lots of Finite Incantatums," Scarlett admitted. "Nothing happened. She things I might have ingested something at dinner without realizing it. She hopes it'll fade-"  
  
"Yes, well, we'll see if that will be the case." They came to his office, or she assumed so, as it dictated on the side of the door "Head of Slytherin House." "This is my private office, and it has direct access to my private stores." He shut the door behind her, walking towards his walls of glass cabinets. "To counteract any of the properties in a hair changing potion, you'd need to eat raw dogweed." He selected a vial and presented it to her. "Chew this."  
  
It was pure dogweed in its rawest form.She uncorked the vial, shifting some dogweed onto her hand and then she popped it into her mouth. It tasted like... well, it tasted awful. Like grass and dirt and a bitter, almost sour taste.   
  
"Is it working, sir?" she asked, not wanting to look at her own hair.   
  
He grimaced, which she took for a no. "It has turned black."   
  
"Well... it's better than blue," she admitted. He seemed to disagree. He tinkered around with other vials.  
  
"From your studies, what else have you discovered that counter hair potions?" Severus questioned.  
  
"Wormwood," she responded. "But it's inedible in its pure form. It has to be mixed with something."  
  
"Correct." He returned to her side with two vials, one of the essence of wormwood and the other of rose. "Perhaps the rose will return the red color." She hoped. Not that she minded black hair. But red was comforting to her. It was familiar. She took them from him carefully, exchanging it for the dogwood, and used her hand to mix the oils from the wormwood with the rose leaves. And then she put it in her mouth.   
  
It tasted better, but not by much. She kept chewing until she was sure she might have to spit the rose petals out. "Now, sir?" she questioned.  
  
"A darker red, but red none-the-less," Severus said after a moment. "I suggest another dose of the wormwood and rose combination before classes this morning."   
  
She nodded in agreement. "Will I get house points off for this, sir? I didn't mean to break the rules. And Madame Pomfrey assured me that any rule violations would-"  
  
"Miss Brown will lose fifty points," Severus stated simply, cutting her off. Her eyes widened. How had he known it was Lavender? "And then you will gain twenty for deducing the solution on your own."   
  
"Oh... um, thank you, sir... But I don't want to get Lavender in trouble-"  
  
"Your interest in the Zabini boy... I advise caution," he said suddenly, moving towards his chair and standing behind it. The straight posture made him look much taller than he already was. "His family is deeply involved in the Dark Arts. His mother is one of the Dark Lord's supporters first hand, and each of his step-fathers has had some hand in supporting the Dark Lord."   
  
"I'm aware, sir," Scarlett admitted quietly. "There's nothing-" She stopped herself. She didn't want to lie further to him. "We're friends. That's all, sir. I knew him when he would visit Draco at Malfoy Manor."  
  
He made a noise of displeasure. "Very well... I still advise caution. You are dismissed. Return to your friends in the Great Hall. I will see you for our lessons in the office attached to the Defense room."   
  
"Of course, sir. Goodbye, sir." She nodded once and turn to leave the room. "Also, um, thank you, sir. For-for the books. It was very kind of you and they had to have cost a fortune..." She turned to glance at him, seeing slight surprise. "So, thank you."  
  
"How did you know they were from me?"  
  
"The third pile was books I'd need for our sessions," she said, shrugging. "It was deduction, really."  
  
"I'm glad you liked them. How far are you into reading?"  
  
"Almost done with the first book, sir. I didn't read as much as I was hoping to this morning, in light of ... well, my hair." She swallowed as he nodded. "Good day, sir."  
  
He let her go and she manuevered up the corridor, trying to think back to what she had read. It was healing basics. Everything she'd need to know about healing. She recounted it in her head, listening over and over again to what she was thinking.   
  
"You like to visit the dungeons? Do you feel at home?" Scarlett gasped, whipping around, but was unable to as a strong arm grabbed her and held her against the wall, her head smacking painfully. Another hand was pressed against her mouth, preventing her from making a sound. Once the stars dissipated from behind her eyes, she focused on who had grabbed her. Crabbe. "Huh?"  
  
"Lemph-mph-go!" Scarlett hissed, but her voice was muffled and the desired effect didn't happen the way she intended. She sounded scared. Terrified.   
  
"What was that? I couldn't hear you." She squirmed, attempting to pull away from him, but he was much stronger, and her wand was tucked in her bag, out of her reach as her hands pulled at the arms. He chuckled, stepping closer. "I thought so... Say, whore, what do you say to another romp in the halls, hmm?" What? Her eyes must have widened, betraying her fear, because he grinned like a shark. "Oh, you like that idea, do you?"  
  
She struggled, only managing to move his arm from her mouth for a second. "Let me go!" she snapped.   
  
"No one's going to save you down here," Crabbe sneered. "A lion in the snake pit. A whore in the brothel, aren't you-"  
  
She squeaked in surprise as he was suddenly shoved from behind, smacking his head on the stone beside her. He fell to the ground unconscious and Scarlett glanced up towards who had come, either to save her, or try to get to her next.   
  
But she knew it was to save her when she saw Draco Malfoy shaking out his hand as though it had hurt. "Bloody hell, he has a thick head," he was muttering.  
  
Scarlett exhaled and leaned against the wall slightly for support. "Thank you..."   
  
"Are you okay?" But it wasn't Draco that had spoken. Blaise. She nodded, spotting the darker friend walking towards her, shooting Crabbe a look of disgust. "He didn't hurt you, right?"  
  
"No," Scarlett promised. "I'm fine. He just-"  
  
"You're bleeding," Blaise interrupted. He closed the distance, inspecting the back of her head where a small amount of blood was coming out. How in the world did he notice that? "Come on, let's get you to the hospital wing."  
  
"But I have classes, and so do you-" Scarlett insisted. "I'm fine-"  
  
"You might have a concusion," Draco stated simply. "How hard did he throw you at the wall?"  
  
"Not too hard," Scarlett admitted. "Just a bit-" Blaise sighed, obviously in exasperation. "Fine I'll go to the Hospital Wing."  
  
"Draco, why don't you drag the lump to Professor Snape. I'm sure he'd be enligtened about what just went on. I'll take Scarlett to Madame Pomfrey." Scarlett didn't really have a choice as he took her hand, pulling her out of the dungeons and up the stairs, ignoring the stares of people on their way to breakfast. Scarlett touched the back of her head, wincing at the tenderness. Perhaps she did hit it harder than she thought. "Do you feel dizzy or faint?"  
  
"No, but I do feel like we're running," Scarlett answered honestly.  
  
"We're walking Scarlett," Blaise said carefully. "We're walking pretty slowly."  
  
"Oh," Scarlett answered quietly. "It just seemed a lot faster." But he slowed a little more anyway, and Scarlett was grateful. They made it to the Great Hall in what seemed like record time, and Blaise called for Madame Pomfrey.   
  
"Oh, Scarlett, dear, back so soon?"  
  
"She hit her head," Blaise answered. "She was walking in the dungeons... and she hit her head on the wall because someone pushed her. She's not bleeding much, but it was enough to be on the wall-"  
  
"Oh, right, of course," Madame Pomfrey said. "Sit down, Scarlett. Let's take a good look at you. First day of classes and already hurt. You remind me of Mr. Potter." Perhaps it was a blood thing. "You may go, Mr. Zabini. You might as well tell her friends she'll be with me for a few moments. Don't have them worry about her."  
  
"Of course, Madame Pomfrey," Blaise said smoothly. He glanced towards Scarlett, but she waved him away.  
  
"I'm fine, Blaise, honestly." She winced as Madame Pomfrey seemed to find the wound at the back of her head.   
  
"Oh, just a little cut. I don't think you hit your head that hard. You might be a little dizzy, but with some food and some water in your system, I daresay you'll feel brand new." The doors shut behind Blaise and she was left alone with the woman. "Do you know him?"  
  
"Friends," Scarlett admitted quietly. Madame Pomfrey dropped a potion on the wound, so that it could heal. It burned just slightly, but nothing Scarlett couldn't handle.   
  
"Well, your first day certainly just became eventful." Scarlett appreciated the attempt at lightening the mood. It made the look in Crabbe's eyes disappear from her mind. "Now, I expect to see you at four o'clock sharp tonight."   
  
Scarlett nodded, standing from the bed and facing her instructor. "I'll be here, Madame Pomfrey. Thank you for fixing me up."  
  
"Now hurry up to breakfast. I want a good sized meal inside of you before classes start. If you feel faint on the way, just take a pause and breathe." Scarlett could do that. She left the Infirmary, determination in her steps. She wasn't going to let a slight hair mishap and a shove into the wall break her nerves. 


	18. The Day of New Things

There was a small congregation of people gathered in the Great Hall that afternoon for lunch. It wasn't like a gathering, that is, but rather people gossiping to each other about who was in their classes, what was happening to them, and who they saw with who. A summer catch-up, Scarlett dubbed it.   
  
"Hey, I didn't see you this morning." Scarlett jumped, surprised by the voice that sounded behind her and discovered Cormac standing there, a charming smile on his face. "Uh, sorry." She smiled politely. "Um, you left this in the Common Room last night." He offered it to her, a small leatherbound book she didn't recognize. "It has your name on the back. I didn't look in it or anything, I swear... I just didn't leave it because I figured someone like Ron or Seamus might snoop." Scarlett frowned slightly, glancing down at the book and flipping through it. It was blank, like a journal.  
  
"Oh, thanks, but I don't have one of these," Scarlett admitted. "This can't be mine."   
  
"Your name's on the back," Cormac pointed out. She flipped it over, seeing that it was the case. Scarlett Lilian Prince.  
  
A small "oh" escaped her and she glanced up at him. "Well, um, thank you, for returning it to me. I don't remember having it." In fact, Scarlett was quite certain she didn't have a journal like this, or any journal for that matter, but she saw no harm it in. A journal might be good. "Thank you."  
  
"Yeah, I'll, uh, see you around." She nodded, but he was already gone, his posture betraying his nervousness. She turned to walk towards the table and saw why. Professor Snape was giving the boy older than her a hard look, almost warningly. She hid her smile, ducking her head as she sat down at Gryffindor house, tucking the journal in her bag and pulling out her Healing book.   
  
He was warding off the boys, doing what Harry had secretly proclaimed to do - protect her from the wiles of man.   
  
Her gaze traveled to the friends she had just recently made, chatting about their classes. When they caught her looking, they gestured her over. "How were your classes?" Harry asked first.  
  
"Fantastic," Scarlett insisted. "I've already got my first set of assignments, and I can't wait to get started. I know just what I'm going to write, as well. And even though I've already learned all the material, I've learned so much just with the ways the professors taught their classes - so much extra information!"   
  
"Oh, Merlin," Ron groaned. "You're turning into Hermione."  
  
"Ronald!" Hermione scolded. "I do hope you're meeting people in your classes," Hermione spoke up. "Have you made any friends?"  
  
"Ginny sits with me," Scarlett admitted. "But there are some very nice people. In Hufflepuff especially. They've been so kind."  
  
"What about your professors?" Scarlett explained what she felt about each Professor she had seen so far, offering nothing but praise, of course, but they didn't seem to have much interest. So, as they talked about new topics, Scarlett went back to her book, studying the art of healing and the many different properties that go into making a wound heal.  
  
After lunch, headed towards the Defense Room, for a private lesson with her father. He was waiting, a pile of parchment already on his desk that was nearly dripping from red ink. They must have been summer assignments.   
  
"Take a seat," Severus said simply. Scarlett sat, unsure what Severus would discuss with her first. If the course books were anything to go by, defensive magic was a must. "The Dark Lord's interest in you has yet to waver." Scarlett thought so. "In fact, it has grown stronger since he has learned that your mother was unable to be identified."   
  
"Stronger?" she whispered. "What does that mean for me?"  
  
"It means," Severus said slowly, "that he may call for you. And when he does..." Severus trailed off, and Scarlett's mind raced with possibilities. The Mark. Information. Torture. Maybe forcing her into servitude once more. "You will go to him. And do whatever it is he asks. No matter what it is."  
  
"What if it's in the middle of the night?" Scarlett questioned. She found her hands playing with the red braid in her hair Ginny had done at lunch while Scarlett read. "How am I to know?"  
  
"I will summon an elf to fetch you." He placed a few piles of parchment on top of the ones with the red ink, and then nodded to her. "However, a confrontation with the Dark Lord with the knowledge you possess wouldn't be wise... therefore, we're going to train your mind, your body, and your magic. The more equipped you are against him, the more equipped you'll be against the others that may try to harm you.... Madame Pomfrey mentioned that you were injured this morning after you left my office."  
  
It was so sudden, that Scarlett had no time to hide her expression. "I... yes."   
  
"How?"  
  
Surely he knew. Draco had brought Crabbe to him. Scarlett dropped her gaze, wringing her hands. "I was under the assumption you already knew, sir."  
  
"I do, but I'd like to hear it from you myself. I know that Draco knocked Crabbe out with a poorly aimed punch, and Mr. Zabini escorted you to the Hospital Wing." Scarlett doubted that was all. "I also know that Vincent Crabbe will receive a month of detentions for sexually harrassing a student, and a hundred points were deducted from Slytherin House." Oh. "So, I'd like to hear for myself why that happened."  
  
"I was sort of... lost in my thoughts," Scarlett admitted. "It was my fault, sir. I wasn't paying any attention-"   
  
The slamming of his quill on the desk made her jump and meet his eyes, to which he was glaring fiercely at her. He was angry. She didn't want to make him angry. "None of this is your fault. He is an oaf that has no sense of decency towards anything that exists-"  
  
"I was reciting what I had read that morning, in my head," Scarlett pressed on, hoping to distract the anger. "And ... He sort of grabbed me, threw me against the wall, and I couldn't move, and his hand was over my mouth. And then he started to ask me questions, about nothing in particular... and then Draco arrived when he actually tried to... well-"  
  
"Rape you."  
  
Scarlett winced. "Yes, sir."  
  
He exhaled for a long while, sharply, and finally continued on the topic. "Yes, well, we're going to ensure that never happens again. Read the books I've given to you about self-defense. I don't expect them to be read overnight. I'd prefer you read a few chapters at a time so that we can go over them. However, read Muggle techniques first. Those will give you the element of surprise against a wizard." She nodded. "In our sessions, we will first work on Occulmency. So, I want you to clear your mind, think of no memories, no instances..." She closed her eyes, taking a calming breath and doing as asked. "Now, open your eyes and try to build a barrier against your mind. Make it so that I cannot penetrate it."  
  
She opened her eyes, staring into his own black orbs, and wondered when he would start.  
  
"We already have, Scarlett." He blinked and asked her to try again. "Push against my gaze. Almost, telepathically shove me away from you, yet not physically." It was harder than she thought it would be. By the end of the session, she at least felt when he entered her mind, which he considered a huge amount of progress. "Work on this on your own, building a wall with your eyes. We'll resume this when you see me next. Then, I want to start on hand to hand technique. Bring a change of clothing."  
  
Just like that she was dismissed. She rose, thanking him for his help in everything, and moved towards his office door. "Oh, and Scarlett?" She turned, regarding him curiously. "If Zabini was intended to be a body guard, then I recommend keeping him in your vacinity. He seems protective, as does Draco."   
  
"They are friends," Scarlett said quietly. "Though I didn't know Blaise well before... his visits to the manor, he was always kind to me. He would show me bits of show magic he learned... And I grew up with Draco. Perhaps we do not have the bond, as most would, but I suppose he feels... guilty for what happened. Which he shouldn't. It was not his fault-"  
  
"I recind my earlier statement. They are good to keep around, if you would otherwise be alone. Until you have more training, I do not want you being alone."  
  
"I understand, sir," Scarlett nodded.  
  
"Has Miss Brown caused you anymore trouble?"  
  
"No, sir. She rather avoided me during lunch." He smirked, in a way that suggested that he had been involved in that issue.  
  
Her next lesson, Defense, was just down the stairs from the office, so she sat near the front, Ginny falling into the seat beside her without question, and Severus entered rather dramatically, preaching about a chapter Scarlett had memorized, and her assigments he ahd given her on it had been extensive. Her gaze drew away from the lesson, and traveled more towards the way the lesson was being taught. What approach did he want the students to look from? What to focus on? 

 

"Madame Pomfrey?" Scarlett questioned, as the woman had to sit in her office, resuming the same position they were in last night. "Did you use a root solution on my head this morning, or an essence of hawthorne?"  
  
Madame Pomfrey smiled. "You've read most of the first book, I see."  
  
"I finished it, Madame Pomfrey," Scarlett admitted. "At lunch today..."  
  
"Well, I have been told you were exceptionally bright..." Madame Pomfrey cleared a few things from her desk. "I used the root solution. Essence of hawthorne is used more particularly on spell induced wounds. The hawthorne, like in many's wands, draws the remnants of a spell from the skin, leaving the wound clean and easy for healing spells. The root solution is a healing balm, used on traditional cuts, sealing the wound and healing it in a matter of moments."  
  
"Fascinating," Scarlett murmured. "And the soreness? I noticed that my head was still sore. I'm assuming that a balm for that would counter the root solution?"  
  
Madame Pomfrey seemed very pleased. "A very bright one indeed. Yes, it would. Now, I hope you brought parchment. We'll have plenty of notes." Madame Pomfrey walked her through every instrument in the Wing, as well as every potion they had in stock, providing Scarlett with purposes of each. She assured Scarlett that by the time the course was over, each potion's contents, method of brewing, and location would be memorized.   
  
"The Dittany," Scarlett said once the woman began to move away from the potions cabinets. "You mentioned that it is for Apparation mistakes. Yet, it contains healing properties. Could it be applied in other cases? Such as ... spellfire? Something that causes more substantial wounds?"  
  
"Oh, absolutely," Madame Pomfrey agreed. "But its intended use was for apparation mistakes." Scarlett nodded, and they continued on. Scarlett signed an agreement stating that she wouldn't discuss any of the medical records with anyone. "Now, we best head off to dinner. I've talked your ear off well into the night. Your reading assignment is to get as far as you can into the second book, since you've already finished the first. I have a feeling that we may progress much faster than I thought."  
  
They went their seperate ways once Scarlett and her reached the Grand Staircase. Scarlett headed towards Gryffindor Commons, and she to the hall.   
  
She hoped to see Ron, Hermione, or even Harry in the Commom Room, but found it to be nearly vacant, except for a few first years happily chatting away over a chessboard. Scarlett had the feeling that the next few days would mean very little time seeing each other. They had complete opposite schedules, afterall.   
  
So, she trekked down to the Great Hall alone, though her father had specifically told her that morning not to go anywhere alone. She could see her destination, and there was no way anyone could sneak up on her, as all areas around her were exposed. By the time Scarlett reached the Great Hall, the hall was full of students and seats were very limited.  
  
She asked to sit beside Neville, who blushed and told her that she was more than welcome. Ginny casually asked about her classes, but didn't seem to interested as Dean whispered something into her ear, making his girlfriend giggle and blush.   
  
"I know you're not on the Sixth year schedule yet," Neville began. "But when do you have Herbology?"  
  
"Tomorrow at eleven," Scarlett answered promptly. "Why?"  
  
"Oh, I was just asking. Herbology's my best subject. After my nasty faint in second year with the mandrakes, well... I can't stop learning about it." Neville grinned at her, as though it was embarrassing, but he was proud. Scarlett didn't see why he should be embarrassed about loving Herbology as much as he did. "Do you have any experience with plants?"  
  
"Not particularly," Scarett admitted. "Where I used to live had a beautiful garden full of most any herbs you could need for any potion... But I wasn't allowed to touch any of them. My experience just extends to what I've read in the books."  
  
"Oh, you've missed so much!" Neville insisted. "The Mimbulus Mimbletonia, this sort of breathing cactus- I carried it around with me everywhere last year - has got this particularly unqiue trait when it sheds its needles-"   
  
Neville went on and on, and Scarlett listened, finding that what he could tell her about plants was much more than she could have possibly learned from the textbooks. "Where did you learn all of this?" Scarlett asked him once he paused to gain his breath. "I haven't read most of this, and its all so fascinating."  
  
"Oh! I sort of," he blushed, shrugged, "self-study, I suppose. Er, like, I read some books in the library sometimes, and over the summers, I work with my Uncle Algie on a botany farm. You learn all sorts of things there."  
  
"That's fascinating!" Scarlett insisted. "What does a botany farm do?"  
  
He explained to her the mechanics of the botany farm, which grew herbs for mass production apothecaries, and the herbs would be shipped out to be sold to the general public, which in turn would make potions and tonics. The farm Neville went to was the largest supplier in all of the UK. Scarlett guessed that meant it was a big deal. She didn't quite know how large the UK was.  
  
And if the train ride was anything to go by, it was very tall. "So, uh, Zabini came by this morning," Ginny said quietly on the walk up the stairs. "He mentioned that you got hurt?"  
  
"It was nothing," Scarlett said simply. "How did Harry and Hermione react?"  
  
"Oh, he didn't talk to them," Ginny said, shrugging. "I was on my way to the Great Hall when we met in the hall. He told me. I didn't tell anyone... I didn't want them to get all-"  
  
"Thank you," Scarlett said, interrupting her. "I didn't want them to ask questions."  
  
"Will you tell me what happened?" Ginny pressed, glancing towards her, with a dot of concern.   
  
"I ran into Crabbe, that's all," Scarlett assured her. "Um, Draco and Blaise sort of intervened." Ginny raised an eyebrow, making Scarlett back pedal. "That was all."  
  
"Two handsome Slytherin bodyguards," Ginny murmured. "Merlin, I can't believe I'm saying this, but don't tell Dean..." She winked at Scarlett. "Good job." Good job? Scarlett frowned in confusion, but didn't ask why it was so good. "They're handsome," Ginny answered even though Scarlett didn't ask, "No one would think twice and cross them, and they do have the schoolboard wrapped around each of their fingers..."   
  
"Oh," Scarlett said quietly. "Why does the schoolboard matter?"  
  
"If someone hurts you, they could easily get that person expelled," Ginny said brightly. "So, if I were you, I'd use that to my advantage. Think you could get Goyle expelled too? He's a right creep-"  
  
Scarlett giggled. "Ginny, that's awful!"  
  
Ginny shrugged, not seeming too bothered. "Besides, you'd get to hang out with them all the time. Must be a dream boat."  
  
"A dream boat?"  
  
"It's so romantic!" Ginny insisted. "That they're so protective-"  
  
"Oh, I'm not interested in them romantically," Scarlett said immediately. "They're just friends... I don't know why everyone thinks we're interested in each other."  
  
Ginny grinned. "Because of the way you guys are always spotted together, in secret."  
  
"Because you know how Harry and Ron and Hermione would be if they knew I was talking to them," Scarlett sighed. "They don't like them, especially Harry." Ginny ammended that it was true. "Besides, I thought you were dating Dean?"  
  
"Oh, I can admire from afar," Ginny sighed. "And how far away they are..." Scarlett rolled her eyes as Ginny seemed to go into a daydream. She snapped out of it just as quickly. "I think you should introduce us. In a discreet way, like perhaps running into each other-"  
  
"But they know who you are," Scarlett said confused. "You said Blaise talked to you-"  
  
"And I could hardly breath," Ginny insisted. "Seriously, Scarlett, how are you so immune to their good looks?"  
  
Scarlett shrugged, wondering if it was a bad thing. "I don't really pay attention to it. It's not exactly their only good quality, you know. They're rather nice."  
  
"And it's not just them," Ginny continued, "but Cormac McLaggen, too? Now, he's not exactly one of those good guys, like to see how many women he can date in a year, but he is incredibly handsome. How did you start that up?"  
  
"Oh, we ran into each other on the train," Scarlett shrugged, having to explain it for what felt like the eighteenth time. "That's nothing either."  
  
Ginny sighed. "But they're so attactive!"  
  
"I thought you liked Harry?" Scarlett asked confused.  
  
"Shhh!" Ginny snapped, glancing around nervously. The nearest person was a few steps behind them, engrossed in conversation. Cormac. "Well, yeah, I mean, how could anyone not? He's only saved my life about eighty different times, and he's got the humbleness, ya know? Anyway, that's not the point. We're talking about you."  
  
"I rather hoped we stopped," Scarlett admitted. "There's nothing going on between any of them. I'm not looking for anything romantic. I'm just here to make friends."  
  
Ginny grinned. "That's what all of the girls say." Scarlett didn't respond, instead stating the password to the Fat Friar, and being granted access to the Common Room. "Do you have a lot of homework?"  
  
Scarlett shook her head. "Just some reading. My essays I can complete over the weekend. But I'm going to start them tomorrow evening."  
  
Ginny understood. "I'll leave you to it, then." Scarlett nodded and watched the other red-headed female walk off, finding her boyfriend at the chess table playing Seamus. Scarlett went up to her dorm, grabbing her bag and books, before coming once more into the Common Room, sitting in front of the fire, and leaning against the wall of the castle.   
  
She lost herself in her book, finding the art of Muggle technique in fighting much more ... well, she was quite sure that she was going to be something that broke a sweat. She didn't really have that much clothing that allowed her to fight like that. She would have to transfigure some. What did one wear? Athletic wise? She'd have to ask Ginny.  
  
When she resurfaced, she found herself alone in the dark, the lit fire beside her as she read. The Common Room was nearly barren and Scarlett guessed that it was well into the night. She supposed she had gotten quite far in her reading...   
  
So, Scarlett began to pack her things, stuffing what she could back into her bag and gathering the rest of her belongings in her arms. It was then that she rediscovered the journal that Cormac had returned to her. Well, returned... she wasn't sure it was hers. She turned it over, seeing her name written in gold lettering, promising her that it was indeed hers. "Where did you come from?"  
  
She opted to forget about it, hoping that someone would perhaps claim it, saying they lost it ... or something. Scarlett simply didn't know what to do with it. She threw it in her bag, grabbed her things, and headed up to her dorm, hoping for a good night's rest. She didn't know why, but she suspected that the war was going to give them all a hard next couple of months.


	19. Baby Blanket

"Take a deep breath," Severus instruced, standing before her in a black woolen sweater, and black slacks. He looked... comfortable. She had opted for a more form free outfit - shorts and a red tank top. Ginny had insisted upon the red. Gryffindor, apparently.   
  
Scarlett obeyed, taking a deep of a breath as she dared, and then she began to move along the circle drawn in the middle of the classroom. The desks were pushed to the far ends of the room, ready to be righted in a moment's notice. Her heart was pounding, her lungs racing to give her the oxygen she needed.   
  
"Again," Scarlett requested.  
  
Severus nodded and struck, to which she blocked in the techniques she memorized from the book, but also the ones he had begun to teach her earlier that morning. She ended up flat on her back, the breath leaving her in a woosh, followed quickly by a groan. That one had hurt.   
  
"You're overthinking the steps you take," Severus stated firmly, offering a hand to help her up. She waited a moment, her breath filling her lungs, before she took his hand, standing and feeling along her back for any signs of tender skin. She winced slightly when she felt the bruised flesh just over her tailbone. Merlin.  
  
"I'm remembering exactly what you told me to do," Scarlett insisted. "And what the books say-"  
  
"Precisely why there's a problem," Severus interrupted. He grabbed a cloth from a desk against the wall, wiping at his face. Scarlett grabbed another nearby, and a glass of water an elf had brought her. She sipped it as though she hadn't had water in her life. "You're overanalyzing your next move. You need to ... to relax," Severus shrugged. "Act on instinct, rather than reason. Don't think anymore about what you're going to do. Anticipate my move. Use your instincts to guide you, your observations of where I'm shifting my weight, where I'm expected to move - then strike."  
  
"That was a bit contradictory, sir," Scarlett admitted. The clock on the wall, however, told her that they had a half hour left of lessons. A ten minute Occulmency first thing, and then they had jumped right into training her for hands-on combat. "I need to ... not think about what I'm going to do, then? I need to think about you?"  
  
"Think about what I'm going to do next. Think how to throw me off guard. Then block it," Severus repeated, but it was simpler, so Scarlett understood it more firmly. "We'll resume this next Wednesday. I believe this morning session would be the best time to do such sessions, as well as any Sundays you're available. If we're able to start earlier, as well, we can maximize our time."  
  
"When were you thinking, sir?" Scarlett asked. More time here, meant less time for homework. Oh, Merlin.  
  
"How early do you awake?"  
  
"The last few days I've been up before dawn," Scarlett admitted. "I go to sleep usually right after dinner, sir. The school days have been so exciting, that I'm afraid I'm not used to all of the excitement." She continued hastily when the expression that took over his face told her he didn't care about the excitement of the day. "I'm available whenever you'd like."  
  
"Come here precisely at dawn," Severus stated. "We'll start then, work mostly on combat and Occulmency." Scarlett nodded immediately in agreement. Those were the most important. "Friday, I'm thinking lessons in duelling. I'm going to talk to the Headmaster to see if we will be given access to the Duelling room."   
  
"The Duelling room, sir?"  
  
"Once upon a time, Hogwarts used to have a Duelling club," Severus said wryly. "You can thank Poter for its disbanding... Be sure to ask him about it. It's a very interesting story. Now, let's work once more on Occulmency. I'd like to see if this session has solidified anything yet."  
  
Harry's eyes hardened at the question. "Snape wants you to ask, doesn't he?" Harry's response was.  
  
"He said it was an interesting story," Scarlett admitted. "That's all. He thinks I should study duelling technique in the library. It would be useful, he feels." The lie had come out of nowhere, and Scarlett knew she didn't even have a reason to lie, but once it had already left her mouth, it was too late.   
  
"Last time there was a Duelling Club meeting," Harry said tensely, "Malfoy and I were paired up, by Snape and this crock of a teacher that claimed to do amazing things - but didn't. Anyway, we're duelling, which Draco duels unfairly, so you know. And he sends a snake my way... And, it being in the middle of all these snake attacks on the school... it was sort of ill-will, really. Nothing ever goes right when I'm around, if you've noticed. I talked to it, and the entire school though I was trying to kill my classmates."  
  
Scarlett blinked. "You talked to a snake?"  
  
"Er, yeah, I'm a parselmouth. It's some snake language. I didn't even know I had it, until I set a snake on my cousin at the zoo."   
  
She giggled, her eyes widening in disbelief at the same time. "You set a snake on your cousin?"  
  
"Anyway," Harry said pointedly. "Duelling Club was cancelled indefinitely because of the mishap... apparently we aren't mature enough to handle a duelling facility-"  
  
"Which is utterly ridiculous," Hermion chimed. "How are we supposed to train for this war if we can't even learn how to fight properly-"  
  
"People in the war aren't going to do proper duelling technique," Harry interrupted sharply. "They're going to fight and kill whoever they can get their wand on, because they can." Scarlett glanced away from him, frightened by the sudden hostility in his voice. "They've done it before, they'll most certainly do it again."  
  
"Harry," Hermione sighed. "I know it's been tough, but... Sirius's death wasn't your fault. Neither was Cedrics."  
  
"Cedric?" Scarlett questioned. She glanced at the two, confused by the sudden saddened expression. "Did I miss something?"  
  
"Two years ago, there was a tournament-" Scarlett nodded. She had heard of that, at least. It was all Draco could rage about that Christmas - about how he hadn't been chosen. "And there were two champions from Hogwarts... This boy named Cedric, a Hufflepuff... and me. And the third task, when Voldemort returned... Cedric died. A student hasn't died at Hogwarts for fifty two years... And the one that did then was Moaning Myrtle..."   
  
Moaning Myrtle? "That's horrible," Scarlett said quietly. "He must have been very brave."  
  
"He was. And loyal," Hermione said quietly. "And so friendly. . . When he died, the entire school was heartbroken. He had made friends with everyone, even the first years, the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang... he was loved by everyone."  
  
"What happened, after?" Scarlett asked. "Did they threaten to shut down the school? I imagine a student dying... it's not taken lightly."  
  
"Oh, no," Harry agreed. "The school faced a review by the Ministry, but... nothing too permanent. A ban on the Triwizard Tournament, again..."  
  
"But... didn't they know the risks of the tournament before?" Scarlett questioned. "If it had been banned before, surely they would have know the huge threat that it posed to the students-"  
  
"They did," Hermione admitted. "Warned everyone. Restricted all entries to those over seventeen... They wanted those volunteering to be adults that could make their own legal choices... And... Cedric made his."  
  
Scarlett was quiet, thinking of how much pain they had to have been in with his death. She couldn't imagine watching a good friend die like that... It had to have been heartbreaking. "Well, I'm glad you're all alive, then... It could have been anyone of you."  
  
Harry didn't seem to agree, but didn't comment on it. "You were a bit winded in Defense, Ginny says," Harry said instead. "What happened in your potions class?"  
  
"Potions?" Scarlett asked, thinking back to her schedule. "Oh! He timed me organizing the storage closet. He says that it's essential to know exactly where an ingredient is in a moments notice. Once I finished organizing, he would state an ingredient and I had to get it as quickly as possible. It was quite fun actually."  
  
Hermione blinked. "He's giving you extra lessons, and that's what he does?"  
  
Right. "He... he doesn't want to give me any actual lessons until after OWLs," Scarlett said quickly. "Maximum study time."  
  
Hermione accepted the lie with ease. Scarlett had counted three just with this conversation alone. Since when had she become a liar?  
  
Scarlett blinked at her father, confused. "I thought we were going to use the Duelling Room."  
  
"Dumbledore believes it will be more useful once you learn more advanced spells, and improve in your hand-on-hand combat," Severus stated in a very... disagreeing tone. "I think the earlier we start duelling the better. However, the room is closed until he allows me permission to enter." He gestured to the box. "The Headmaster suggested we work on your magical creatures instead... We will begin with a boggart lesson. One that you should have had in your third year. And we will continue this lesson, until you are immune to it."  
  
"Immune, sir?"  
  
"A boggart is-"  
  
"A creature that manifests into your worse fear," Scarlett recited. She was quiet a second, thinking. "You..." Her eyes widened. "I will be seeing the same horrible, awful fear until...  until it no longer haunts me?"  
  
Severus sighed. "Yes. Again, I was against this, but the Headmaster believes that with the Dark Lord trying to plant his claws in you, introducing you to the fear so that you can become accustomed to it... it could help you be stronger emotionally."  
  
Scarlett swallowed. She had a guess of what she'd see. Crabbe and Goyle... Maybe Greyback. "And if I refuse?" She couldn't. She couldn't do this... she had to prepare first.   
  
Severus hesitated a moment. "We can delay it, but we cannot stop it from occuring. We will have to get to this lesson soon. We can focus on Occulmency today... Perhaps it will be more productive?"  
  
Scarlett let out a relieved breath, agreeing.   
  
But her mind was unprepared for the assault he suddenly unleashed upon her, and he easily slipped inside of her head. It was usually a surface level, barely scraping by memories of what she had learned that day in classes, her meal choices... perhaps even as far as conversations with her friends...   
  
But she knew immediately it had gone deeper. She could feel him as though he was in the middle of her brain, and she knew instantly it was a mistake on his part. He had given all of his power into the Legimency, thinking that she already had the block up. She didn't fault him for it. She faulted herself for what he was seeing.  
  
 _"Narcissy," Scarlett giggled, nearing six years old. She tugged on the blonde woman's hand as Narcissa walked down the hallway. "I want to go out into the garden and see the pretty birds again... May we please?"_  
  
 _Scarlett remembered the memory. It had been just six weeks before the brand. Six weeks before she was thrust into the servitude she had become accustomed to._  
  
 _"Find her," Lucius ordered. Scarlett held her breath, her legs tucked close to her chest as she hid in the closet of Narcissa's bedroom. The parchment was stretched out at her feet, revealing what her and Narcissa had done. Letters were etched, shakily, and names._  
  
 _Lola. Emma. May. Sarah._  
  
 _All were names Narcissa mentioned were common in the Muggle world at the time. Scarlett didn't have a name. The door opened and Scarlett's breath hitched, but she was relieved to see it was Narcissa instead. "Quickly," Narcissa hissed. Scarlett obeyed, taking Narcissa's hand and letting the woman drag her out of the closet. She knelt down before the girl, kissing Scarlett's forehead. "Oh, dear one... I am so sorry for what is about to be done... We will always be friends, dear one." Scarlett smiled, oblivious to what was about to happen. Narcissa's eyes began to mist, and Scarlett remembered that she had never seen Narcissa cry before this moment. "Always. I will always be here for you, to talk to, to give you a hand when you need it, do you understand. You need only ask the elves for me."_  
  
 _"The elves?" Scarlett questioned. She giggled. "But I know where you are. My room is just a few doors down from yours." She frowned suddenly. "Are you going away? Like my Mummy and Daddy?"_  
  
 _"No," Narcissa said gently. "But things are going to change. Things must change. I am sorry... I wish it wasn't like this... You're so young... so young-"_  
  
The memory faded into another, and Scarlett knew she needed to build walls. She had to gather her wits. She never thought about these memories... She couldn't. And it was... it was painful.  
  
 _She sobbed as Lucius grabbed a fistful of her hair, ordering the elves to take her to the drawing room. "L-Lucy, please!" Scarlett sobbed. "I-I don't understand!"_  
  
 _"I told you not to call me that, you insolent brat!" Lucius hissed, and she felt the stinging pain on her cheek before she was apparated by the elves to the Drawing Room. The White Room. The one she hated going to to clean. She could almost smell... smell it. Lucius was there when they arrived, meaning he had to have apparated immediately with them. He was walking towards the fireplace, reaching for a poker._  
  
 _Scarlett whimpered in fear as he turned around, the poker white hot and Scarlett knew... she knew what this meant. She whimpered as he approached and the elves moved her, so that her face was pressed against the ground. And the next thing she knew, she was screaming, so loudly that it echoed throughout the manor._   
  
Walls... Walls needed to be built before he saw too much. He couldn't... he couldn't see things-  
  
 _Scarlett was dirty. Her face smeared with ashes from the fireplaces she had cleaned that afternoon. And her breathing fast as she pressed herself against the corner, her chin raised to give a false air of confidence, but the way her eyes were watering, and the clothing was torn... she wasn't very confident looking._  
  
 _"Well, look who we have here," a voice goaded. "A slave girl? Who knew..." Scarlett shrank back further as a beefy step went forward. "Grab her, Goyle."_  
  
 _She took off, running as fast as her feet would take her, but she was barefoot, and the marble was slippery, especially in the summer heat. All of the sudden the ground came out from underneath her and she yelped, falling to the marble hard, and felt a hand grab her hair, making a sob leave her nearly three milliseconds later. "Please... sir, I didn't... I didn't mean to cross your path-"_  
  
 _Footsteps were coming, those from Goyle's companion, Crabbe. "Aye, but you did."_  
  
Scarlett tried to concentrate. She needed to get her feet on the ground. Ground herself. Plant herself in the room with Severus. She needed to get feeling. But she couldn't. She felt like she was floating mid-air, with no hope to grasp anything to tether her. And the memories were getting worse. He was getting them all.  
  
 _"Imperio." Scarlett whimpered as the spell washed over Blaise, and she glanced at Lucius Malfoy, grinning maliciously. "Teach her, Mr. Zabini. Teach her how she should be punished..."_  
  
 _Blaise was fighting it. She could see it in his eyes, see the torture he was trying to surpress. His limbs were shaking with the force. And his grip on his wand, was so tight, she thought he might snap it in two. "NOW!" Lucius shouted, his patience run out._  
  
 _Blaise surged forward, grabbing her, and throwing her down onto her cot. She didn't have it in her to scream, but she cried. "Mi dispiace," she heard echoing in her head, the same words he had been whispering to her the entire time. Her head clouded itself in blackness... but the words wouldn't stop._  
  
 _Mi dispiace._  
  
 _Mi dispiace._  
  
 _Mi dispiac-_  
  
She needed walls now. She couldn't... She could feel the chair. The chair. Good. She needed... She tightened her grip on it, trying to locate where her feet here.  
  
 _"Oh, dear one," Narcissa's voice sounded, quietly. "It'll be alright. The pain will be over soon... Brum, another draught... Nimble... Nimble, keep her in the upright position- dear... Dear I need you to push-"_  
  
Scarlett found her feet, the buckled shoes pressed tightly against the carpeted floor of his office.   
  
_Lucius sneered at her as she stood in the doorway of her cell, staring down at her with such hatred ... no, staring at the bundle in her arms with the hatred that she immediately clutched it tightly. "Wait," Scarlett said quietly. "Wait-" He took a few steps into her room, approaching her. Scarlett scrambled back, but there was no where to go. She was pressed up against the cold wall. Lucius grabbed the child, and it immediately began to cry. "Wait! No, please!" Scarlett surged forward, grabbing the child back._  
  
 _"Give it to me! This brat is just as filthy as you," Lucius hissed. "I should have never allowed you to stay. I should have left you to die. So I'm going to make it right. This child will be left to die-"_  
  
 _"No!" Scarlett cried. "P-please, I'll work extra. I'll work around the clock, I swear. Please, don't take him... Please, please-" She felt tears brimming her eyes, and her heart was breaking as he stared at her, as though he never felt any compassion for her in his life. "When I was on your doorstep... you took me in... you let me stay with your family....You could have let me die, but you didn't.... You saw something... you have something inside of you - some compassion. Please, don't take Tyler... Please, he's all I have... He's all I have left-"_  
  
 _She saw the hatred, the pure loathing, on his face crumble for just a moment, as he took in the sobbing girl, but it was back, firmly, once more._  
  
 _"He will die here no matter what," Lucius hissed. "We either do it the harmless way, or we'll do it the painful. I've never heard a baby scream in pain, but we can-"_  
  
 _"No!" Scarlett sobbed. She shielded the child with her own body. "Please... Please, let me find a home for him, at least. A home and-and then you can kill me instead. Please-please, just give him a chance... He deserves a chance! You gave me one. You gave me a chance, and I was happy... I was so happy. You treated me like your own-" She sniffled, sobbing into the crying child's blanket. Her baby blanket. The white, dirty fabric with pink stitching. "I serve the house of Malfoy until my death," Scarlett whispered. "I serve you, but I am this child's mother and my child comes first." She backed up a step, reaching under her pillow and drawing a knife. Narcissa had ordered it stay there. She raised it to her throat, making Lucius pause. "And I will serve the House of Malfoy until my death..."_  
  
 _"Yet you obey a direct order to give me the child," Lucius hissed. "I don't have time for games. The child is needed for the Dark Lord's return-"_  
  
 _"He's just a child," Scarlett whispered. "He deserves so much more than me, I know that, Master, but... but he's all I have..." She moved the knife from her neck, and pointed it towards the silver man. "So you have to kill me first."_  
  
 _"Crucio!" The spell made Scarlett crumble to the ground, the knife clattering against the stone. She screamed, louder than the child in her arms screamed. And her grip had gone lax. It was how Lucius plucked the child once more from her and moved towards the door. A surge of adrenaline made Scarlett's legs move her towards the door, and she managed to slip out just as he slammed it shut._  
  
 _"Please!" Scarlett begged, breathing heavily as they stared at one another. "Please-"_  
  
 _"Crucio."_  
  
 _She screamed in pain, and by the time she was released, he had disapparated into the night. The sob that left her was painful, even to rewatch in her mind. "I'm sorry," she whispered into the stone floor. "I'm sorry... Tyler."_  
  
The walls crashed down so suddenly that she gasped for breath, and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to prevent Severus from getting in her head once more. Her hands gripped the arms of the chair, and the silence that rang in the office was so deafeningly quiet.   
  
Oh, Merlin... He had seen... he had seen everything she had been trying to keep from him. Everything in its entirety.   
  
"What changed?" Severus asked after a moment. "When you were six."  
  
"Narcissa was teaching me how to read," Scarlett admitted. "When I first went to them, Narcissa and Lucius agreed that... that if I was to stay, I would have no education. And that included reading. I was nothing more to them than a Muggle, and they didn't want to risk exposure of the magical world to me, moreso than they had to. But... Narcissa taught me in private anyway. Every night right after dinner, when Lucius would lock himself in the study. Sometimes Draco would learn with me, but he was younger... By nearly two years."  
  
He nodded once, ashen, staring at the ground between them as though it could give him some straws to grasp at. "And the child..."  
  
"I'm sorry," Scarlett said quietly. "When... when you asked, I couldn't... I felt so guilty, so responsible. If only I had..." She shook her head. "I shouldn't have lied."   
  
"Who is the father? Do you know?"  
  
Scarlett nodded, biting her cheek. She didn't know if telling him was a good idea or.. or not. "Blaise Zabini..." Severus nodded, and then turned abruptly, knocking a pile of papers off of his desk in a swipe of his arm. Angry, then. "He... he didn't harm me on purpose!" she continued quickly. "He was harmless... Kind to me. He refused to punish me, and Lucius made him-"  
  
"Made him rape you," Severus spat. "You realize the severity of that?"  
  
"I should think so," Scarlett answered. "Since it happened to me."  
  
He exhaled, shutting his eyes for a moment. "That night. What happened."  
  
"He was gone," Scarlett admitted, her voice nearly a whisper. "I haven't seen him since... He... Lucius apparated away, and... and he was gone all night, the elves told me that much. When he returned, it was morning, and... and I began my morning chores, as though... as though things were normal. We crossed paths and... and he gave me something."  
  
"What?" Severus ground out. She could tell he was trying to control the anger, trying to keep himself calm.   
  
"The baby blanket," Scarlett admitted. "It was mine," she continued, when he raised an eyebrow. "I was dropped off at the Malfoy doorstep with nothing but a blanket wrapped around me. The stitching, with my name, was gone long before I could read... I loved that blanket. I worshipped it for all of the connections it could have given me to my parents. And he found me, scrubbing the floors by the ballroom and... He dropped it in my lap..." Tears filled her eyes and she glanced away from him hastilly. "And I couldn't help the sound that left me. It was as though one of his hounds had been pierced with a red hot iron."  
  
"And then?"  
  
"Narcissa found me, found us... She held me, in front of Lucius, knelt on the wet floor beside me, and let me cry... I ruined her ten thousand galleon dress... But I was never punished for that. Lucius let me cry. And cry... And that's all I did. All night long, until I could no longer cry." Scarlett sniffled, wiping away the tears that were falling. "Narcissa stayed with me all night, let me eat some sweets that they had left over from dinner, even asked the elves to make some more fresh for me... but I had no appetite..." She let out a breath. "And the next day, I ... I had to act normal. I had to be normal... He was dead... Tyler was dead. And I couldn't do anything to bring him back. I was stuck there, in that hell, and the one thing that I cared about was ripped from me."   
  
"Yet... you lied to me about it."  
  
She swallowed. "When you did the potion... When it showed Tyler's name... I knew it was going to be gray. I knew it would be final... and I didn't want to look. I couldn't bear to... But it wasn't. When I asked... the name was black. Because Tyler was alive. I don't know what Lucius Malfoy did to him, but he's alive somewhere."  
  
"And you want to find him."  
  
Scarlett hesitated. "Blaise and I are both searching. We spent all afternoon last Sunday searching the library for whatever we could. We found nothing... We're still looking... still searching, but... but there's nothing to find him for... I have no income, to shelter for him... It's a pointless search, but one I hope to... to just find out... what happened."  
  
"How old was he, when he was taken?"  
  
"About a year," Scarlett answered. "Lucius let me... let me keep him until he no longer needed a dependency. It was a small mercy, I suppose. But ... it made it all the worse. My attachment to Tyler... He was my world, sir... he still is. . ." She exhaled. "I'm sorry, sir, for... for burdening you with this. It's nothing-"  
  
"To hell it isn't," Severus snapped. "I will contact Lucius-"  
  
"No!" she gasped. "No! He... No, because if he knows I'm looking... that Blaise and I are looking, and he has Tyler somewhere, doing Merlin knows what... what if he kills him then? I can't risk that, sir... I can't risk Tyler like that."  
  
"And if he knows the location? If your son is safe?"  
  
She swallowed. "He's not... I wish it were true, but... he was used in the ritual to bring the Dark Lord back... He's not safe."  
  
"Yet you looked up to the Dark Lord, for saving you," Severus said carefully. "Do you remember? You were grateful to him."  
  
"Because I hoped, that if my son was used to bring him back..." She met his eyes. "I hoped that whatever good Tyler had in him, was the good that the Dark Lord was showing me. And now I know it's not... And I'm grateful for it, because I would never want my son to be apart of something so evil as the Dark Lord's agenda..."   
  
"Who else knows?"  
  
"You, Blaise, the Malfoys, including Draco.... Crabbe and Goyle know Tyler's name, but not who he is, or what he was to me. And your mother... She's helping the search as well."  
  
"Bloody-that's how you became such fast friends," Severus sighed. "I knew it was suspicious."  
  
"I'm sorry, sir, for lying to you," Scarlett said carefully. "I never meant for anything to... to happen. I just couldn't ... I didn't want you to be disappointed in me. You believed so much in my skill, in my knowledge, and... and it was all ... all a lie because I couldn't even save my son from a fate worse than death." She shook her head. "I was weak and a failure, sir, but... I want to make it right."  
  
"You were never weak," Severus said firmly. "Lucius was infinitely stronger than you. You did your best. But he had a wand, and you didn't. He deliberately put you in a vulnerable state by not teaching you anything about magic, or defense, or anything. And he did that for a reason. He had a plan the entire time... He had a plan to solicit you so that he could get the child for the ritual-"  
  
"But if he didn't sacrifice Tyler, then it couldn't have been the plan. Perhaps there was complications?" Scarlett frowned. It just didn't add up, now that she analyzed it, reviewed the memories. "Because he would have used Tyler."  
  
"Maybe he backed out.... couldn't do it?" Severus suggested after a moment.  
  
"He would have still needed a child regardless."  
  
Severus sighed. "Are there any other secrets I need to know?"  
  
She exhaled. "You understand why Blaise and I are friends now?" She watched him nod slowly. "I didn't... I'm not close to him romantically. We're friends. And we're working together to find him. I don't like him in that regards... He is a great guy, but... but I don't think we're destined."  
  
"Good. And your relationship with Cormac?"  
  
"Acquaintence," Scarlett stated simply. "I've told you this."  
  
"So you have... I realize this may have been emotionally straining on you... You can have lunch with me until your afternoon lessons begin. I believe we have much to discuss. Afterall, finding Tyler isn't going to be easy."  
  
"You're going to help?" Scarlett questioned, surprised.  
  
"I may know a few things. When the Dark Lord was trying to locate Potter, I was the person he employed to search for a method." Merlin's beard... was this luck? "There is a potion that can be brewed. It is accurate, meaning that it gives the city of the child's location, but nothing else."   
  
"That's great!" Scarlett insisted, leaning forward in her chair. "How is it brewed?"  
  
"Half of the ingredients are illegal," Severus informed her. "Meaning we have no access to it." Oh. Scarlett's eager expression immediately faded. "However, I have contacts that will deliver the ingredients to me when asked. The only downside is that the potion takes three months to brew."  
  
"But it's guaranteed to work?" Scarlett questioned. "No matter what?"  
  
"Yes, it is. And there will be increased accuracy if I have both Blaise and your blood."   
  
"Anything," Scarlett promised. "An arm or a leg, as well. I'd give it."  
  
"Not necessary," he assured her. "I'll order us lunch." He called to an elf, asking for two plates to be delivered to them with an array of lunch selections. The elves were almost too happy to obey.  
  
"Sir?" Scarlett questioned once the elf bounded away. "You mentioned blood was needed for the potion. If you used it to find Harry... how did you get the blood?"  
  
Severus hesitated, before answered her in what she assumed was a partially truthful way. "Raids would send Aurors to St. Mungo's. James Potter was a frequent visitor. The Dark Lord, over the years, collected blood and hair samples from many Aurors that passed through St. Mungo's doors. Otherwise, the potion would have put us in the right county at best."  
  
So he needed blood. And the more blood the better. "I'll give it. Anything you need."  
  
"And once we find him... we'll go from there, based on the circumstance. If he needs a home, we'll find him one. If he needs safety, we'll find it. And if he needs someone, you'll be there."   
  
"I have nothing," Scarlett said quietly. "I won't be able to give him much."  
  
"Sometimes, being there is enough."


	20. OWLs and Fear

She could hardly sleep, following her lesson with Professor Snape. Her healing classes and dinner passed in such a blur. She didn't talk to those around her, unless they caught her attention. The only thing she worried about was her handwriting, for the OWLs tests she had tomorrow. She kept her quill well inked and continously wrote the most common words she had calculated for her exam. Her handwriting resembled a four year old child's, at best, so she could only imagine what it would look like when she was writing under a timed schedule.  
  
It was something Scarlett needed to improve, and quickly. She used the letters she received from Professor Snape as her guide to many of them, and the handwriting Lucius would give her... with her chores.   
  
It still brought tears to her eyes to think of Lucius. The memories weren't so painful, locked away and not thought of much, but now that she had talked of them in their entirety, had relived them in a sense, it was as if it was fresh.   
  
She skipped breakfast the next morning, heading to the Headmaster's office with a bag full of parchment and ink and quills. She didn't know what she would need in its entirety. She just knew that she couldn't have her texts or notes.   
  
She began with Ancient Runes, the test consisting mostly of translations and numerology. Which was great, because when Arithmancy came around next, she was already in the numerology kick. Her tests felt... well, she felt as though she did good. Astronomy was much trickier, consisting mostly of questions she discussed with the Ministry official - as it didn't want any writing. These questions, she was asked to explain the significance of the moon cycle, not only to the world, but also to magic. What days had stronger magic, etc. Simple, really. Her Care of Magical creatures test was mostly multiple choice, identifying characteristics of creatures.   
  
Charms was almost too easy, with simple spells she remembered mostly from her third year book. Only one she didn't know, yet she remembered Flitwick mentioning studying it in Monday's class. And then it was Defense, which is the one she was mostly worried about. They did mock duelling, her and the Ministry official. And since they were in Dumbledore's office, the spells that could be preformed were minimal. She didn't want to break anything.   
  
The duel only lasted a few minutes before the Ministry official smiled. "You remind me of a kid I tested about twenty years ago. Had startingly good reflexes, as you do, Miss Prince."   
  
Scarlett supposed that was a good sign. "Oh, thank you, sir." She was allowed a break for lunch, but she made it as short as possible, as she wanted to finish her tests and begin studying for tomorrow with Severus. She had to prepare for the boggart.   
  
Divination required her to predict something from tea leaves, and then she was asked to make general predictions, which Scarlett found would be quite easy to fake. Perhaps the Ministry official cast a truth charm? She wasn't sure. Divination was a very difficult subject, as it was all so subjective. Still, when Herbology rolled around, she was relieved. She could work with plants. She often did when she was at Malfoy Manor, creating cleaning solutions and healing draughts for her injuries.   
  
History of Magic was ... well, essay based, which she was slightly worried for. It was a broad subject, as history ranged from BC to modern times. Still, she wrote the best she could, conscious of the time, and trying to make her spelling as accurate as she could get it. She only knew the words she read. Others... well, like the ones spoken, were more of a guess. Muggle Studies was also another struggle, as it was essay based, for a portion. The other portion was identifying objects the Ministry official had in a small pouch. A television remote, a pair of car keys, a football, and other, smaller things that Scarlett knew didn't have much significance.   
  
Potions was one she was guaranteed to have fun with. She was asked to brew a potion from her first year potions book, one that was expected to have been memorized. Scarlett had it memorized, of course, but the fine details were a little rusty. So she went with her gut instinct, brewing it to how she knew the individual ingredients should have been.   
  
With Potions done, it meant that she only had one left - Transfiguration. Leo was the test subject, making her slightly nervous. She didn't want to harm her cat, nor did she want the cat to be permanently stuck in some form. "Please turn the cat into a dish." It was a simple flick of Scarlett's wand. "Now a glass." And another flick of her wand resulted in just that.  
  
"Miss Prince, please, do that once more. From cat to dish to glass." Scarlett glanced up at him, frowning at his tone.  
  
"Is something wrong, sir?" she questioned.   
  
"I-No," he assured her. "No one has ever gone from a transfigured object to another before... I didn't even think it was possible."  
  
"Well sure it is," Scarlett insisted. "It's still a cat, even in a different shape. You just have to treat it as such." She turned Leo back to his true form, flicking her wand twice so that it was a fluid transformation from cat to dish to glass. "See?"  
  
"That's amazing," her instructor said softly, touching the glass. Solid, clear glass. "Excellent, Miss Prince!"  
  
"Er, thank you, sir," Scarlett admitted, confused by his excited ... well, reaction. She was dismissed and Scarlett knew she had missed dinner, but she didn't mind. She wasn't too hungry, anyway. She headed towards the Hospital Wing, wondering if she could get her assignments for tomorrow.   
  
Madame Pomfrey was in her office when Scarlett entered, so she was quiet as she approached, not wanting to disturb Madame Pomfrey. The woman was reading a book, dedicated to something. A pile of folders behind her was towering dangerously, looking as though if someone blew on it, it would fall over.   
  
"Um, Madame Pomfrey?" Scarlett questioned quietly, eyeing the pile, before glancing to the Healer. She jumped at Scarlett's appearance, her hand flying to her heart. "Er, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."  
  
"What can I do for you?" Madame Pomfrey asked. "You didn't have classes today-"  
  
"I'm aware, ma'am, I was just wondering if there was any further homework you wanted me to do," Scarlett admitted. "I have some time tomorrow afternoon." As Blaise was doing Quidditch try-outs so they would have a difficult time meeting early in the afternoon.   
  
"Have the night off," Madame Pomfrey said gently. "You're already weeks ahead from what I was expecting. We can afford a night of no homework."  
  
"Are you sure?" Scarlett asked, biting her lip. "I could... you mentioned you have interns organize files... I would be interested in doing that. Something to distract me from-"  
  
"Oh, you're probably worried sick about your OWL scores," Madame Pomfrey tutted. Oh. She supposed that was a good excuse. "Of course, if you want. No need to do much with them. I should start cleaning the instruments. If you need any help just give a shout."  
  
"Thank you," Scarlett said quietly. She set her bag down outside of the office door, and moved towards the towering pile of files. Madame Pomfrey left her alone, and Scarlett began by making a pile of each letter for last name.   
  
Potter. Potter. Potter. There were at least twelve Potter files, ranging in dates from the thirties, to the seventies, to her own brother. Once all of the folders were in piles, some letters in multiple piles, Scarlett began to set them in shelves.   
  
"Scarlett, dear?" Madame Pomfrey called. Scarlett turned, standing on her tip toes to see Madame Pomfrey searching for her over the pile of folders in front of her. "Ah, there you are. I'm heading to my room. Why don't you head onto bed too?"  
  
"It'll only take a few minutes to get all of these in order," Scarlett admitted. "If I could stay-"  
  
"Oh, alright, but not too late," Madame Pomfrey warned. Scarlett sighed in relief as the woman left, and Scarlett exhaled again, firmly, as she stared at the files around her. There had to be thousands, at least. It would take much longer than a few minutes, but it was exactly what Scarlett wanted.  
  
By dawn, the last file in the Z section was in place and the office looked... well, much bigger. There had been so many files, that Scarlett had needed to transfigure some parchment in her bag to another shelf.   
  
She grabbed her bag, before Madame Pomfrey would return, and made her way to the Defense room, for her morning session. Severus wasn't awake yet, as she suspected, afterall she was much earlier than normal. She sat in her usual seat, blinking to try to stay awake. But Tyler... She had to think of Tyler. If he was in a situation where he wasn't sleeping... where he wasn't safe... she had to work day and night to find him.  
  
"Mr. Zabini has agreed to begin teaching you a few lessons as well," Severus's voice sounded suddenly. She jumped, her head jerking behind her to see Severus standing in the door, his black eyes assessing her carefully. "In confidence and social skill, as well as wand skill that I will not have time for. You are to meet him in the library after dinners on Monday and Wednesdays. And also Sunday afternoons."   
  
"Why, sir?" Scarlett questioned.   
  
"You're tired," he observed shortly. "How much sleep did you get last night?"  
  
"I-none," Scarlett admitted, wincing as he didn't seem fond of this answer. "I couldn't sleep, sir. I keep... thinking, and I had to distract myself, so I couldn't sleep-"  
  
"About Tyler."  
  
"Yes," Scarlett said softly.   
  
"Mr. Zabini will be unavailable today," he informed her. "Quidditch try-outs. However, he wishes I express his condolences for his absence and instead encourages us to have a full session today, all day. Your homework for your classes is no longer necessary, as you will not be in them anymore." He presented her with an envelope. "Your results."  
  
She took it hesitantly, almost afraid of what she'd see. She tore at the seal, a piece of parchment sliding out with the scores. Her eyes widened, staring at the list in amazement.   
  
"How many O's?" he questioned.  
  
"Twelve," Scarlett said softly. "Merlin's beard... That's... that's amazing!"  
  
He smirked at his daughter, moving towards his desk. "Yes, well, I didn't doubt it." His hands found a few pieces of parchment there, reading them absently. "We'll begin with Occulmency for an hour, followed by the Boggart exercise. Depending upon the results of that exercise, we will continue with Occulmency, and finally combat. How does this sound to you?"  
  
"Very good, sir," Scarlett admitted. "I-I'm curious, sir... the boggart... I've read about them, but... are they solid forms? Or not?"  
  
"They will be solid if your worst fear is for it to be solid," Severus answered. "Whispy if you care not. If the image will be enough." She nodded, understanding. A feeling that hers would be solid seemed to be what stuck in her mind, though. She would have to prepare for that. "Have you eaten breakfast?"  
  
"No, sir," Scarlett answered immediately. "It's a little early for the Great Hall to open."  
  
He made a noise, almost as if agreeing. "And you skipped dinner last night, did you not?"  
  
"My tests finished once dinner was already over," Scarlett said carefully.   
  
He exhaled once, but snapped his fingers, an elf appearing between them a second later. "Fetch us breakfast. Make sure Miss Prince is given extra. She missed dinner, as well."  
  
"Of course, Master Snape," the elf bowed.   
  
"Elves are remarkably caring," Scarlett commented as she rose, following him to his office. "They take what is said to them to heart, overanalyzing most of it. Their extent of free time is preparing for the next day, waiting at a moment's notice for their Master or Mistress's call, and always having their Master or Mistress's favorite drink and food item readily available." She smiled softly as he glanced to look at her, wondering where this was going. "They are also quite compassionate, knowing the moods of those they serve and knowing just what to say so that they can try to allieviate it, if it is anger or sadness."  
  
"What does this matter to anything?"  
  
She shrugged, not really knowing. "Has that elf been yours long?"  
  
"Since I began teaching here, nearly fifteen years ago." So a long time then. "He has been there for numerous problems, potions experiments, etc. He is paid well."  
  
"Paid?" Scarlett questioned, confused.  
  
"Yes, I pay my elves," Severus answered, holding open his office door for her. She walked through, thanking him in a murmur. "If someone is going to wait on my whims, they should at least be paid for it."  
  
"I... I didn't know you could pay elves," Scarlett admitted. "At the Manor... the only form of payment was an article of clothing if Lucius was dissatisfied for long enough."   
  
"Speaking of Lucius." Scarlett's heart dropped slightly. Had Severus told Lucius what he knew, despite her asking him not to? "I was wondering, if you would be willing to discuss with me the first six years of your life at the Manor. I was under the impression that the slavery you were under was for all eighteen years-"  
  
"No," Scarlett admitted. "My... my arrival at Malfoy Manor was just days after my birth," she explained. "I had no chance of survival, if an elf hadn't notified Narcissa and Lucius of my arrival. Back then, Abraxus was still alive, still head of the house."   
  
"And so when I told you that he killed his slaves, you knew that it would have meant your death-"  
  
"Except, I wasn't a slave," Scarlett reminded him. "I was branded two years after Abraxus Malfoy died." She exhaled slightly. "As far as I understand it, Narcissa brought me to her and Lucius's room, for them to get a look at me. They had no idea where I came from, only that my blanket told my name - which they didn't tell me until I was released. They ... Narcissa asked to keep me, to wait to see if someone came to look for me. By the time they knew I was an orphan, I was a year old, and Narcissa had grown fond of me. I didn't cry, as a baby. She says I was so quiet she had to check on me in the middle of the night to make sure I was still alive.   
  
"Lucius would... when Narcissa was pregnant with Draco, Lucius would spend time with me. Not... not as much as Narcissa did, but Narcissa would sleep all of the time, and I was alone most of the day. He would sit me on his lap, in the study... and I would play with his hair." Severus raised an eyebrow in surprise. "When I was young, I loved to play with his hair. It was so pretty. As I got too big for his lap, I was nearly three, I believe. Narcissa tells me that Lucius would comb my hair, braid it, tie it back if I so desired... Lucius may not have loved me, nor did I expect him to, but... he at least liked the time we spent together. I didn't talk much as a child either. Our time usually didn't consisted of me asking him anything, or him speaking to me. I had learned to keep silent, even when I was a baby. He didn't like ruckus."   
  
"Did you ever meet Abraxus? How was your presence there explained?"  
  
"They called me a charity case," Scarlett admitted. "To Abraxus, that is. I only met him a few times, that I remember. I would often mistake him for Lucius. And it was usually when I was around Narcissa, after Draco was born. She said that I was her cousin's daughter, and that she was watching me. I don't think Abraxus knew I lived there. But I lived in their wing, in a bedroom on the other side of Draco's. It was before Narcissa and Lucius shared a room-"  
  
"And Abraxus didn't care you were there?"  
  
"I don't know. I was young. I didn't pay attention to any disputes. I don't remember the first war," Scarlett admitted. "But I know that Abraxus died just a year after the first war ended. And with his father's death, Lucius was warmer towards me. He would take me on walks into the garden, Narcissa staying away with Draco. He would walk me through the halls of the manor, telling me about the portraits, if they talked to us. But only if they talked to us. I couldn't say Lucius. I was horrible with full names. Narcissa was Narcissy. Draco was Drake. And Lucius was Lucy. Lucius didn't mind, really. At least, not that I thought. He would almost smile every time I called him that. And ... and it was when I accidentally stepped on his cloak one evening that he got frustrated, telling me to stop following him around. He told me to stop calling him Lucy then. And that night, when I was branded... then, too."   
  
"I'd imagine the transition from being a surrogate daughter to their servant was drastic, especially overnight."  
  
"I wasn't punished a lot for slip ups, but when I would call them by their names instead of Master or Mistress, Lucius would order the elves to punish me, to give me the lecture again and again... Um, the elves were instructed to give me this lecture about how Lucius and Narcissa and Draco were better than me, than us, and that it was disrespectful to call them anything else but by Master or Mistress. Over the years... It became a second nature. I suppressed the happy memories of my younger years, because I knew it wasn't going to happen again. It couldn't. Narcissa would visit me frequently, when it first began, but as I got older, her visits became sparce, as she knew she would be punished for breaking Lucius's command... You asked me, a while ago, if I hated Lucius..." She shook her head. "I can't. He ... he was someone I admired, looked up to, when I was a baby, and... even after everything, I still see that side of him sometimes, even if its not directed at me. I said there wasn't good to Lucius Malfoy, but.... I wasn't telling the full truth. There is good in him, he just does not choose to act with it any longer."  
  
Severus processed all she told him, and by the time he came around to saying something, an elf appeared, a large plate placed in front of Scarlett, and a much smaller one in front of Severus. "Is that all, Master Snape?"  
  
"Yes. Leave us." The elf apparated away. "You say there is good in him somewhere."  
  
"I hope so," Scarlett admitted. "Not for my sake, but for Tyler's."  
  
Severus breathed deeply, lifting his fork to his plate. "You're incredibly lucky you weren't thrown to the dungeons immediately. You would not have survived."  
  
She swallowed. "I know, sir."  
  
Breakfast concluded in silence, Scarlett barely able to stomach all of the food given to her by the elves. Snape ordered his elf to take the plates away and then they began the Occulmency, Scarlett's head pounding as he tried to access her deeper memories.  
  
"If the Dark Lord is able to penetrate the surface, he will see emotions tied to your friends. But what he really is seeking, is the deeper memories. The ones that will tell him exactly what makes you weak, and exactly what makes you strong. It is those we must work harder to protect."  
  
"If he finds out about Tyler."  
  
"You better pray he doesn't," Severus said simply. "If he needed a child for his resurrection, he may still need one." She felt herself pale, and she gripped the chair tightly, slamming him away from her mind. "Very good," Severus said immediately, praising her. "We've found what to make you stronger. You must work endlessly to make a shield that will protect your memories, because you have to protect Tyler. This is the only way you can protect him, until we find him, do you understand?"  
  
She nodded. "I must shield my mind." She opened her eyes after a moment, meeting his own. "Sir, if I were to create a barrier, but let certain memories stay on the outside. Decoys, so to speak, so that he doesn't think I'm hiding anything... So that he thinks I trust him completely, show him things, but we use the guise of training me in Occulmency to keep Dumbledore from knowing about my plans for him."  
  
He considered the idea. "Creating decoys would take time, but it can be done. Next Sunday morning, we will start to compile a list of them, keep them separate from those we're trying to protect." She agreed. "I think it's time for a break. This will be more emotional... If you need to stop, you need only say so. We have plenty of time, so we can take as many or as long of a break as we need," Severus informed her. "If it becomes too much... Remember that the goal is to make it so that you become numb to the fear you see. To have a fear change would be the best end result we could have."  
  
"What's the worst case scenario?"  
  
Severus winced. "You become emotionally unstable. The fear haunts you... If it even begins to look like that is the case-"  
  
"Then obliviate the memories," Scarlett interrupted. "If it looks like that is going to happen, it would jeopardize everything. You would have to obliviate the memories of the Boggart sessions, and we'd have to start again... And we'd have to keep trying until it works the way it is intended."   
  
Severus hesitated, but nodded once. "If that is what you wish, then I will honor it if it looks to be getting out of hand."  
  
She stared at the shaking box that he introduced to her during Friday's session. She took a deep breath, knowing she wouldn't be seeing anything pleasant. It was like deliberately walking into someone's path at the manor. "Riddikulus is the spell, correct, sir?"  
  
"Do you have something funny in mind?" he questioned.  
  
She didn't. But that wasn't the point of this session. "I don't think I need one, sir. The point is to withstand the boggart until I no longer am stricken by it." She rose from her chair, standing a few feet away from the shaking chest. "Whenever you're ready, sir."  
  
"Your bravery is astounding," he muttered. A flick of his wand and the chest opened, a spirling black mass coming out from the top like oozing smoke, seeping into her fears, seeping into her head. She clutched her wand tightly, no longer feeling any hint of fatigue from her sleepless night. And she waited.  
  
It mingled for a long while, getting a feel of what she feared the most. Honestly, Scarlett didn't know. Was it Crabbe or Goyle? The brand? The Dark Lord? She didn't have a clue.   
  
And then the boggart decided, taking the shape of a petit figure, nearly to her knees in height. A figure so... so small and innocent, and covered in blood and it was a boy.  
  
The boy was ragged, wearing dirty clothing, dirt smeared all along his darker skin tone. She knew who he was immediately. Though the manifestation was unexpected, it wasn't completely without merit. There was blood dripping on the floor, making a slopping noise, and the chains... oh, God, the chains.  
  
The sob tore through her throat, catching her as off guard as he did. And she reached out her hand, as if to grab the child, the two year old boy that should have only just learned to walk. Perhaps run. The chains rattled as the child began to fall, and it kept falling, until it slammed against the ground with such a thud...  
  
Another sob tore through her when the child didn't move, didn't even flinch at the impact. And the blood... marks lined the child's back. The white shirt, though dirty, soaked with blood and torn, revealing the markings... the whippings he had gone through. "No!" He was dead. Her voice was hoarse, as though torn from her very soul. She stumbled, falling, until she too rested beside Tyler, shaking his shoulder. "Tyler! Please-please, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," Scarlett begged, sobbing. "Please, please wake up... I'm ... I want to help, I swear-" She could barely think. Is this the condition Tyler was in? Is this what he looked like?  
  
She knew it wasn't real. It wasn't... it wasn't real. She had to become immune to the fear. She closed her eyes, over the figure, and withdrew her hand, breathing deeply. "Scarlett?" Severus questioned.  
  
"Just... just hold on," Scarlett whispered. "I can do this."  
  
When she opened her eyes, the boggart hadn't changed, and the blood made her sob again, but she surged to her feet, taking a step back. She could do this. She could be strong. She had to be strong, for him.   
  
"Can we do it again?" she asked after a moment, her eyes once more closing. "From the beginning."  
  
"Perhaps you should sit first. You're shaking." Was she? Her eyes opened and she glanced down at her hands to see that they were shaking. From fear. From so much adrenaline coursing through her.  
  
"No," Scarlett said strongly. "I have to do it again. I can do better."  
  
Severus nodded once and he cast the boggart into the chest, sealing it. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She had to be strong. She had to be fearless. How else was she going to be anything for the Order or the Dark Lord? If she couldn't protect herself, she couldn't even begin protecting Tyler.   
  
"Are you ready?"  
  
Scarlett hesitated, knowing she wasn't. She took one final breath, before nodding. "Again."  
  
This time the Boggart formed itself into an infant, the same child, but younger, wrapped in her baby blanket, with his wailing. There was a mist around him, a gray mist, that soon formed into another figure - Lucius. Oh, God, this was the night... the night he had taken Tyler.   
  
They were walking in a motionless pace, going nowhere, but somewhere at the same time. Scarlett's breathing was getting fast as she watched Lucius's passive face, the wailing child, and the sure footsteps. All of the suden they stopped and a cauldron appeared, bubbling, boiling... Surely not-  
  
"No!" Scarlett cried when Lucius dropped the child into the pot. Lucius turned, glancing at her with a smirk on his face. No remorse. Nothing but the desire to be on the Dark Lord's good side. "No," Scarlett whispered, glancing towards the pot as the cauldron began to steam, began to turn into something... a human shape. The Dark Lord. Scarlett didn't realize she was crying until the Boggart disappeared once more into the chest.   
  
She exhaled, glancing at Severus as she wiped her eyes. "Why did you put it away?"  
  
"You dropped your wand." Did she? She glanced to the ground, seeing her wand a few feet from her. Oh. She went to pick it up, finding its hold in her hand a security. "I believe we should take a break. So you can retain your emotions once more. Some tea, perhaps?"  
  
She didn't feel much like tea, but she agreed to it anyways, taking a seat in her chair. An elf came with tea, but Scarlett's cup was anything but. Hot chocolate. She smiled at the elf that handed it to her, feeling much better just by breathing it in. "Thank you," she told it gently.  
  
The elf, whose name she didn't know, bowed to her, and then disappeared. "Hot chocolate?" Severus questioned.  
  
"When I was young, Narcissa would have the elves make it for me, if I had a nightmare," Scarlett admitted. She exhaled and took a sip of the drink, just the right temperature. "Like I said before, elves are very sensitive."  
  
He hummed to himself, and assessed her before nodding to the box. "You did well. Not far from what I expected."  
  
"I couldn't even keep ahold of my wand, sir," Scarlett said quietly.   
  
"It is only the first day," Severus reminded her firmly. "The vision will change, but the fear has, so far, stayed the same."  
  
"It has?" Scarlett questioned.  
  
"You fear Tyler's death," he stated. "In a painful or very... unethical way." She felt her eyes widen. "He died by whipping in the first boggart. In the second, by drowning, or burning, in a boiling cauldron." She swallowed. She didn't know Tyler had died in the first. She thought unconscious maybe, but death...? "And it will be one that is going to be hard to get over, as any mother would fear the death of their child. I can guarantee Mrs. Weasley thinks about the possibility with her own children every day."   
  
"So, how do I change it?" Scarlett asked. "If... if it's nearly impossible."  
  
Severus thought for a moment, as did Scarlett. How would she change her fear? Make it something that wouldn't impact her so much? "We would have to ... to give you something you fear more. And while amplifying that fear, lessening the fear of Tyler's death. What else do you fear? The first thing that pops in your head-"  
  
"Crabbe and Goyle." His jaw tightened. "I've always feared them, but ... I feel like it grows stronger the stronger they get."  
  
"Very well," Severus said simply. "I'll ask them to join us next Sunday."  
  
"What?" Scarlett whispered, feeling her face go white. "Sir-"  
  
"A fear for those two boys will not endanger you or Tyler," Severus told her simply. "The Dark Lord may even punish them. He speaks fondly of you, considering you his prized possession, his secret weapon. So, if he thinks your greatest fear is Crabbe and Goyle... he'll do everything he can to be on your good side... and possibly hurt them."  
  
"So..." She furrowed her brow, thinking. "You're saying that if he knows they're my biggest fear, he'll work to diminish it. But if it was Tyler, he would use it to his advantage."  
  
"Either way, it's to his advantage, in his eyes. He'd work to keep the boys away from you, whereas if it was Tyler, he'd use the boy to make you do things you would most likely disagree with." She saw what he meant. "Showing your fear as Crabbe and Goyle would... well, it would simplify things."  
  
"And if I were not to comply, when he has that knowledge? Would he set Crabbe and Goyle on me?" By the look on his face, he didn't think about that. "Professor Dumbledore says that I am to agree to anything he asks of me, no matter what." Severus nodded, signalling it was the very thing she should do. "However, sir, if I am doing that, he could ask me to do horrible things... murder children."   
  
"I'm aware," Severus said gravely. "And it's my hope that he doesn't ask that of you, but it's a possibility. So... if you refuse... which would you rather the Dark Lord know your fear be?"  
  
She swallowed. "I'd rather him set Crabbe and Goyle on me than hurt Tyler," she stated, her answer almost immediate. "So, if I refuse, I can live with Crabbe and Goyle hurting me. But I don't want Tyler hurt. No matter what."  
  
Severus nodded. "Then, if you refuse, you know what would happen." She exhaled slightly, nodding. Okay. She could live with that. It was as though she was still at the manor. "We can work on changing your fear next session... I'll have Crabbe and Goyle here, in a detention of some sort... and ... and we'll work on it." He seemed to be struggling with the idea. She didn't blame him, really. She didn't want Crabbe and Goyle near her either. "And immediately after they leave, we'll try the boggart. And if that doesn't work..."  
  
"I'll do anything I have to to keep Tyler safe," Scarlett said firmly. "If that means we have to make false memories of Crabbe and Goyle harming me... or doing something to someone. We can do it. I'd rather loathe them, and fear them, than have this not work."  
  
Severus admired her determination, it seemed, because he nodded. "Do you want to try the boggart again, or would you like to work more on Occulmency?"  
  
She didn't know. She glanced at the chest, wiggling to break free. "The boggart... and then Occulmency, I think. I want one more go, to see if it's getting better." Severus nodded and Scarlett set down her half drunk mug, before going back to where she was.   
  
She exhaled, and nodded to her father. "Again."


	21. Volatile Spells

She slept so well that she was worried she was late when she woke up - which was not how she wanted to start her first day of actual NEWTs level classes. She made sure she had all of her proper books, all of the materials she'd need, and then she headed off to breakfast, long before the other girls in her dorm were up. She liked the solitude.   
  
The Great Hall was nearly vacant, save for a few early risers from the Ravenclaw house. As she charmed her knife to put peanut butter on her toast, she pulled out her healing text and began to read, reaching for her toast and taking a bite.  
  
"We didn't see you at all, yesterday," Hermione commented. "Or Saturday. Did everything go well?"  
  
"Oh, yes, I got all Os," Scarlett said brightly. "Afterwards, I skipped dinner and went to the Infirmary, to help Madame Pomfrey and I lost track of time."  
  
"But that's just Saturday," Harry commented. "Where were you yesterday?"  
  
"Oh," Scarlett shrugged, her hand running through her red hair. "I was in the Defense classroom, catching up on a few things we couldn't do at the Burrow."  
  
"Like what?" Harry asked. She didn't know if she should have answered truthfully. She didn't want the questions - of what she saw. She doubted she'd be able to make something up on the spot.   
  
"Um... boggarts," Scarlett admitted softly, watching the surprise light up their faces. So they were familiar. Did they face them before?   
  
"What did you see?" Scarlett cursed silently. She knew this question was coming. She should have said duelling practice or ... or something.   
  
"Um, it was ... this serpent," Scarlett made up, thinking of Nagini. "Massive, maybe twenty feet long?" She glanced at them, to see if they believed her, and couldn't quite get a good read. "It reminded me a lot of the Dark Lord's snake," she continued feebly. Maybe the more she talked, the more they'd believe her. She was in too deep now, and she hated lying, but they couldn't know about Tyler. If they knew... the Dark Lord could easily find out. Secrets didn't stay quiet for long.  
  
"What did you turn it into?" Harry asked, his tone almost sympathetic.  
  
"A worm," Scarlett said, her shoulders sagging in relief. He believed her at least. "A nice small pink worm."  
  
They didn't press. She went back to reading, and biting her toast, before the bell rang for classes and Scarlett grabbed her bag, heading off ahead of her friends to Ancient Runes. But people most likely already had seats in which they were comfortable, and she didn't want to make anyone mad. So she didn't sit right away, she stood by the door, and waited until the entire class was full before she took her seat. Slytherins and Gryffindors.   
  
Hermione was in the class, but she apologized to Scarlett, explaining that the Professor had already assigned partners. And since the Professor wasn't there yet, Scarlett sighed and waited, hoping that her partner would come up to her so she could stop standing there awkwardly.  
  
It was nearing the time class was designated to begin when Blaise strolled through, a smirk on his lips. His eyes met hers immediately, as though he knew she was there, and he gestured to the empty table. "You're my partner."  
  
Oh! Well, that wasn't bad at all. Scarlett smiled, relieved. "I was so worried I'd get Crabbe or Goyle," she murmured, sitting happily beside him.   
  
He snorted. "They didn't even pass their OWLs for this class. Which isn't a surprise. They're idiots." Scarlett giggled, setting her bag down at her feet and she quickly pulled out her Runes book. "Let me guess, an O?"  
  
"Yeah," Scarlett said quietly. "And you?"  
  
"E," Blaise winked. He looked her over. "So, how was yesterday without me?"  
  
Yesterday... Sunday. "He knows," she said quietly, glancing around to make sure no one overheard. "Professor Snape. He's-He's going to help," she continued, at the confused look on Blaise's face. "He has an idea... and I think it'll work-"  
  
"Wait, he knows?" Blaise asked, firmly, as though shocked. "About...?"  
  
Scarlett nodded, knowing the name he was holding back. "It's a potion... and it just needs a vial of our blood-" She lowered her voice, leaning in a little closer. "He's willing to help... he's-"  
  
"How?" Blaise asked. "How does he know?"  
  
"We practice Occulmency," Scarlett admitted under her breath as the teacher walked in. "He went a little deep, he saw him... and ... he's going to help. I have full faith this will work-"  
  
"I thought we agreed to keep it quiet," Blaise said stiffly. "If he knows, who's to say it won't stay quiet-"  
  
"I trust him," Scarlett said softly.   
  
Blaise swallowed, obviously worried. She did her best to put it behind her, knowing he was angry, and as the professor began her lesson, Scarlett did her best to pay attention, but it was so difficult when the man that was... well, apart of the team, essentially, was angry. She hated it when people were angry with her, especially when she considered them good friends.   
  
"You have Defense next?" Blaise questioned. Scarlett nodded, noting how his tone was much lighter. "I'll walk you."  
  
"Okay," Scarlett said quietly, shouldering her bag and following him out. They walked ahead of the rest of the students, down the spiral staircase and into the long expanse of hallway. "I'm sorry, if I made you angry. I didn't intend for him to find out. He entered my mind quicker than I had time to block-"  
  
"I'm not angry with you, just worried, for him," Blaise sighed. "What's this plan he has?"  
  
"It's a potion," Scarlett repeated, laying out the facts. "He will need a vial of both of our blood to ensure that the location accuracy is ... well, accurate. Once complete, it's drunk and the name of the location or city Tyler is in... it'll pop out, so to speak..." She bit her lip, looking at him. "It's the best we've got."   
  
He nodded in agreement. "And how long does it take to brew?"  
  
She winced. "That's the downside," she admitted. "Three months, once all of the ingredients are found... He's still contacting people to get the rest. He has about half of them... I'd say by the end of the month we can start the brewing process-"  
  
Blaise exhaled, closing his eyes a second. "Four months? Are you sure this is the only method-"  
  
"The quietest one, at least," Scarlett admitted. "I still intend to search, because if it doesn't work, I don't want four months wasted. I have full faith in my father, but... but it's a big leap to hope for." Blaise nodded, seeming to agree.   
  
He paused, glancing at her, "Father?"  
  
Scarlett's eyes widened. "Oh... Um... Okay, forget I said anything about-"  
  
"Snape's your dad?" He raised an eyebrow like he believed it and then he sighed, holding his hand out to her. Scarlett glanced at it, confused, but he chuckled, grabbing her hand and holding it firmly. "We're going to find him."  
  
"I know," Scarlett said quietly. "I know we will."  
  
He held her hand for only a few seconds more, before dropping it and walking through the open doors to the Defense floor. "Are you ready for tonight?"  
  
"Tonight?" Scarlett asked, nearly tripping over a piece of jagged stone.   
  
"I get to be your teacher," Blaise winked, holding open the Defense door for her. "Bet that's going to be fun. A bit kinky, too, if we make it kinky-"  
  
"Blaise," she warned, laughing quietly.   
  
He grinned, gesturing for her to sit wherever she wanted. She chose the middle, her bag falling to her feet and he leaned on the table beside her, his face close as he talked to her. "Sorry. I can't resist. The Professor/student fantasy..." He shook his head, as though getting rid of the memories. "Anyway, confidence lessons."  
  
"What exactly do these lessons entail?" she questioned. "Besides upping my confidence."  
  
"We're going to teach you how to keep your head up, your smirk active, and that look in your eyes like you know things you shouldn't from dying out." She rolled her eyes. "And before you ask why," Blaise continued when she opened her mouth, "a dueller that doesn't believe in what she's doing is a weak dueller. A woman that isn't aware of the power she holds over those around her, is inferior."   
  
"Power?" Scarlett questioned quietly. "But... I think that's the exact reason why the Dark Lord likes me. Because he knows I'm weaker... he knows I am not as strong as he is, or anyone else... He wants me to be weak and inferior."   
  
Blaise grinned. "But it's better to act that way, than to actually be that way." He glanced up as Hermione sat down besides Scarlett, glaring at Blaise as she did so. "I don't think Granger likes me," Blaise play-pouted. Scarlett giggled, biting her lip. "See you."   
  
"See you," Scarlett agreed.  
  
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "That was very chummy," she commented as Blaise strode over to where Draco was seated, taking his own seat.   
  
"I told you we're friends," Scarlett said quietly. She pulled out her Defense book, swallowing. "You just don't like it so you don't believe it."   
  
"He's dangerous," Hermione said firmly. "He's friends with Malfoy, and friends with all of the other potential Death Eaters-"  
  
"He's not a Death Eater," Scarlett said sharply. She took a calming breath, seeing the startled look on Hermione's face. "I'm sorry... but he's not a Death Eater."   
  
"That you know of-"  
  
"I know," Scarlett interrupted. "He's not, okay? I've known him a long time... he's not a Death Eater." She sighed as Hermione was far from believing her and she opened her book to what she knew the lesson would be about.   
  
"If I was Ron, he'd be throwing an absolute tantrum, you know that?" Hermione asked her. "So... if you're going to hang out with Zabini. Don't do it where Ron will see."  
  
It was a warning. Scarlett nodded, ducking her head from Hermione's watchful gaze and she stared at her book, praying that Hermione would drop it. She understood that the woman was angry. Upset. But Blaise was... Blaise was good. He wasn't... he wasn't bad, so she didn't see why it was a problem. Who cared if they had different friends?  
  
"Welcome to Defense," Harry grinned as he sat in front of them, turning around in his seat to watch Scarlett and Hermione. "Everything okay?" he asked, his smile dropping slightly as he glanced at Scarlett.  
  
Scarlett gave him her best smile, relieved when he seemed to be okay with the sight of it. "Of course. Just nervous. First day at NEWTs level and all." Lie after lie.   
  
She couldn't stop lying to them. And when she lied once, three more quickly followed. She needed to stop. They were her friends, and she knew that you weren't supposed to lie to friends. "What do you think we're learning about today?"  
  
"Volatile spells that cause more harm after they've hit the body, than when they hit the body," Scarlett answered almost immediately. Ron, Harry and Hermione stared at her, confused. "It's next in the reading... I read the whole book. And if he goes through the most concise order, which I think he will, that would be next, as your last class consisted of Volatile Spell Shields." She glanced at the book, pointing to the page. "Well, what if your shield fails? Gotta know what to expect, right?"  
  
"But... Professor Snape didn't give us any reading," Hermione said, her eyes widening. "Did I miss anything?" She glanced to Ron or Harry, but neither seemed to know what she was talking about either.   
  
"It's in the syllabus," Scarlett said quietly, clearing her throat. "It wasn't assigned reading or anything."  
  
"Miss Prince would be right," Severus stated coldly. "I expect the Syllabus to be your guide for your nightly readings. You aren't children anymore, and therefore do not need to be told what to read. Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for not being prepared." Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. "Turn to page seventy six. Volatile Spells are what exactly?"  
  
Scarlett raised her hand timidly, not seeing anyone else doing so.   
  
"Miss Prince?" Severus questioned, glancing at her with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Spells that cause more damage say... ten to fifteen minutes after they've hit you. At first, it seems as though the spell was... for lack of a better word, a dud. And once its effects take hold, it can range from very excruciating to a peaceful fade out as your magic begins to seep from your body. Overall, it's a very ... horrible way to go."  
  
"Just ten to fifteen minutes after being struck?"   
  
"Oh, absolutely not, sir," Scarlett said immediately. "The effects could manifest from anywhere between ten minutes to fifteen days. Half a moon cycle are the longest extents. Otherwise the magic will have dissipated from your system, as it's likely the magic you exert by the end of half a moon cycle will be about the total storage in any given moment of time. Magic is constantly reproducing inside of you, just like blood or ... or cells. And its all in a relative cycle of life and death."  
  
"Very good, two points to Gryffindor." Scarlett felt a small smile turn at her lips. "Now, who can name a few Volatile Spells?" Again no one seemed to know. So, Scarlett carefully raised her hand, after waiting a few seconds. "Miss Prince?"  
  
"There are about eighty seven known Volatile Spells. The Unbreakable Vow would be one of the most known, though its properties are slightly different." She swallowed as she felt a few eyes on her. "The spell, in its case, would not strike until you break the Vow. And then, the consequences could be immediate to several days. No one is known to have lived over six days with a broken Vow."  
  
"Another two points to Gryffindor," Severus stated. "How is it that a girl that hasn't been in this class for more than three minutes is able to answer more than those that have been in here since its beginning?" No one seemed to speak and Scarlett winced slightly, folding her hands in her lap. His inquiry was bringing unneccesary attention to her.  
  
"Because she's bloody brilliant, sir," Dean spoke up. "She explained to me the entirety of my Care of Magical Creatures project on House-elves in about fifteen minutes what it took seven years for my friend's brother to learn in his line of work."  
  
"Seems you have fans, Miss Prince," Severus said snidely. Scarlett swallowed. She knew his nasty snark was simply for show, but it still was slightly ... well, intimidating. And honestly, Scarlett didn't want fans.   
  
"I consider them friends, sir," Scarlett said quietly. "Not fans."  
  
He snorted and moved towards the board. "As Miss Prince explained, the Unbreakable Vow is a unique exception. Though it is a recent discovery, discussed mostly amongst those that fund secret magical research projects. How Miss Prnce came by this information, I don't care to know." But the look he gave her told her clearly did. "It was added to the Volatile Spells list in 1985, and has thenceforth been discouraged. However with the rise of the Dark Lord's forces, people are becoming desperate in their attempts to find out who is truly loyal." He turned around, his wand flicking to turn the board over. A list of spells appeared. "I expect these memorized for a quiz at the end of the lesson."  
  
There were groans, most notably from Ron. "Now, I expect fifteen inches written on the affects of the Volatile Spells, and you cannot use one from this list, so I suggest writing the list down before I waste my time grading an essay that will get a T anyway. Due tomorrow." Everyone scrambled for parchment, but Scarlett studied the list carefully, before picking a spell she knew wasn't on the list that she could write her essay on. That was the one she wrote down.   
  
"Who was the last known victim of a Volatile Spell?" Severus questioned.  
  
"This isn't history class," Ron muttered, leaning back in his chair. Scarlett glanced at him briefly, before Hermione's arm shot in the air, her fingers skimming the pages she hadn't read.   
  
"Miss Granger?"  
  
"Vladimir Tempt, in 1963."   
  
"If I wanted you to read directly from the text, Miss Granger," he said, glancing at her, at the finger posed directly at the spot she found it in, "I would have just stated the information for the class." He glowered at the rest of the class, less than pleased with their state of no reading. "The victim before Mr. Tempt, perhaps, Miss Granger?" Hermione shook her head. "No? Miss Prince?"  
  
Scarlett glanced up sharply, swallowing. "Charlus Potter, technically, sir was the last victim, not Vladimir Tempt. The book fails to recognize the Unbreakable Vow in the list it gives, because it was not recognized until after Charlus's death, and the book was printed in 1983, two years before the spell was-" She paused, knowing that he had already stated that information. "He died in 1980."  
  
"And where did you come by that information?"  
  
"I did extra reading in the library," Scarlett admitted. "There is a whole section on Volatile Spells. The History of Volatile Spells."  
  
"Very good. Two points to Gryffindor." He seemed genuinely pleased with her proactivity. "I expect, in addition to your readings, you attempt reading extra materials. Because your lack of knowledge in something that could kill you is unacceptable. Who is known to survive the curses, Miss Prince?" Again?  
  
She opened her mouth, pausing. "No one, sir. You die."   
  
His jaw set and he nodded once, his eyes holding hers. Trying to convey something. Trying to tell her not to get involved in them, no doubt.   
  
"Excuse me, sir!" Ron said suddenly, raising his hand. Severus blinked, watching him in surprise.   
  
"Mister Weasley. Enlighten us on what's bothering you." A few Slytherin's snickered, and Scarlett was curious as to what Ron had to say. He seemed bothered.   
  
"You can't just hit someone with the Unbreakable Vow," Ron stated simply. "It takes a moment of clasping and swearing, on both parties, to terms. So, if you're in the middle of a duel, I don't see why learning about it will do anything for you. You can just refuse to take a Vow. People do that-"  
  
"And die shortly after," Severus interrupted shortly. "Your point, Mister Weasley?"  
  
"The others. Are they just like other spells, or are they more complicated? Because, forgive me, Professor, but I'd rather die after refusing than die by being put under it."  
  
"Yes, well, not everyone is as noble as you," Severus snarked. He whacked his wand against the board. "This spell looks like a regular Stupify. Though, you'd have to have some intelligence to know what that looks like in the first place." Ron crossed his arms, obviously taking the bash as one that was meant towards him. "Another, such as this, requires intricate wand work and a precise blow to the small of the back - it will slowly shut down your nervous system and make you completely invalid."  
  
It sounded like a horrible way to die.   
  
"Then why don't they start immediately? The effects?"  
  
"They're created with the intent of suffering," Severus ground out. "Five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter, for being unable to raise your hand."  
  
The rest of the class consisted of the same point deductions, and she was certain that her class irritated Severus the most. Blaise didn't even dare get close to her, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined her on the way down to the potions room. It seemed all of the NEWTs kids had pretty much the same classes together.   
  
"Where did you learn all of that stuff?" Harry asked.  
  
"From the library," Scarlett shrugged, dropping her head as she watched her feet, not wanting the attention on her. "There's loads of books on it."  
  
"Who was Charlus Potter?"  
  
Scarlett swallowed. "Your grandfather. Your dad's dad. He took an Unbreakable Vow to the Ministry, but when they wanted to know the location of your parents, after they went into hiding... he refused." Harry looked horrified. "His death was nearly instant. At least, that's what the records say."  
  
"You don't think so?" Harry asked, his voice urging upon desperation for knowledge.  
  
She didn't want to answer, but she knew he wouldn't look himself. He wanted the information now. "The report says that... there were deep lacerations and he died from lack of blood, rather than... well, let's just say dying from bloodloss is very painful, your body will go into shock before you actually lose consciousness."   
  
"Bloody hell, that's awful."  
  
"Yes, it is," Scarlett agreed, grabbing the strap of her bag and squeezing it in her hands tightly. She kept her head low, her mind racing. It was no accident that they learned about Volatile Spells so early. The Syllabus from last year's sixth year class had them near the end of first term, as they spent a few weeks on them. But Severus didn't intend to spend too much time on them. Why?   
  
They were important. Very important and could be the factor between life and Death.   
  
Professor Slughorn liked Scarlett, immensely. And was even more intrigued to find that she had been transferred into his NEWT level class. "A moment, Miss Prince?" Slughorn called as the bell rang and she began to pack up her bag.   
  
Scarlett waved her friends ahead and approached Slughorn's desk, curious. "Professor Snape speaks very highly of you, and I must say it is rather odd for Professor Snape to be so smitten."   
  
"He was my tutor over the summer, sir," Scarlett said carefully, swallowing.  
  
"The Professors are aware of your situation," Slughorn said fondly. "I must say, it's so remarkable that you managed to go from knowing next to nothing about magic, and now you're able to even exceed the learning of your peers. I always suspected in last weeks classes, but this lesson, you really exceeded my expectations."   
  
"Thank you, sir," Scarlett said quietly, a small glow appearing on her cheeks.   
  
"I don't mean to insult your intelligence, when I offer this to you, because I fear that it will teach you nothing more than the others, but please join my Slug Club," Professor Slughorn proposed. "We have meetings every last Sunday of the month."   
  
"I have classes before dinner every day," Scarlett admitted. "Including Sundays-"  
  
"Oh! Oh, you mistake me. These Club meetings are held during Dinner time. So you wouldn't be missing any of your Healing classes. I believe some of your friends are in it - Miss Granger, Mister Potter, Mister Zabini, and Mister Mister McLaggen."  
  
"Oh, that's very good for them, sir-" Scarlett began.  
  
"Great, then I expect to see you  at dinner at the end of the month," Slughorn glowed. "You're a piece of intelligence I'd love to learn all about."  
  
"I really don't think you want to, sir," Scarlett admitted. "But thank you." She supposed it wouldn't hurt to join his club. "I'll be there, sir."  
  
"Excellent, excellent. Well, you best be off to lunch. Wouldn't want to keep your friends waiting forever, would we?"  
  
"No, sir," Scarlett agreed. "Thank you, again."  
  
"Oh, the pleasure is absolutely all mine." His enthusiasm was contageous. She grabbed her bag, exiting the potions room before she nearly ran into her friends.   
  
"What was that about?'  
  
"I'm in the Slug Club, apparently... But I'm not too fond of slugs."  
  
"Tell me about it," Ron muttered.  
  
"It's an academic club," Hermione explained. "Apparently back before he retired, he had it as well. He picks those he... values. Wants to collect." She glanced at Harry. "Harry for obvious reasons. Choosen One and all that. I'm called the Brightest witch of her age, so he wants that. And you again, for obvious reasons."  
  
"He knows," Scarlett swallowed. "They all do, apparently, about where I come from."  
  
Hermione paused. "Then there's that. He wants to unlock your secrets. I can't say he's alone. You retain information immediately. In Defense, you didn't even write down the list, but you still scored a hundred percent on your quiz."   
  
"As did you," Scarlett reminded her. Her fingers twisted at the strap over her shoulder though, trying to divert the attention. She didn't want to talk about how she remembered things or... or why. She had to remember things. How they felt, how they touched. Because she wasn't allowed to keep anything material. No books, no papers. And there was the fact that she couldn't even write, so it was all spoken, anyway. Oral memorization.  
  
"That's not bloody fair," Ron insisted. "That quiz. He's never done that before."  
  
"It is a NEWTs level class," Hermione said simply. "It's going to be different."  
  
"I have to say, though. It was definitely a lot of fun," Scarlett said brightly. "He knows so much about what he's teaching. I can see why he's been wanting that position for years - he certainly is qualified for it."  
  
"Yeah, well, he's mental," Ron complained. "Fifteen inches by tomorrow? And I have a Divination essay to write for tomorrow too-"  
  
"I honestly don't see why you're still taking that class," Hermione sighed. "It's nonsense. She doesn't see anything-"  
  
"Divination?" Scarlett asked, confused. "You do realize that Professor Trelawney is the woman that came up with the original prophecy, right?" She glanced at the three of them, to see that they didn't seem to understand. "The one about Harry. Born as the seventh month dies."   
  
"What?" Harry demanded.  
  
"Yeah," Scarlett said, shrugging. "I was doing some extra reading for Astronomy and they mention it in some stuff about July and-" She bit her lip. "Right, sorry, babbling. Anyway, yeah, it was during her interview with Professor Dumbledore for the position..." She swallowed, glad that they reached the Great Hall. "Oh, wonderful. I'm starving."  
  
"And this is public knowledge?"  
  
"If you look for it, anything's public," Scarlett admitted. "I stumbled upon it entirely on accident. So, I don't think she's a fraud," Scarlett told Hermione. "After all, that prophecy came true, didn't it?"  
  
"And the one she told me about Sirius, when Sirius entered the castle-" Harry said suddenly. "She-"  
  
"She isn't a true seer," Hermione said simply. "She sniffs her incense all day and mutters about nonsense."  
  
"She's a very kind woman," Scarlett said softly, not wanting to argue on the issue. "Besides, it's a good class to take for Auror positions, or Healing. It's important to recognize what the body is telling you, rather than what your eyes tell you. It's .. well, rule number two in Healing. Rule number one is what is the immediate situtation - or rather, what do you see. Divination plays a part in that. Auras, oracle bones-"  
  
Hermione huffed, stomping away and Scarlett clamped her mouth shut. "She doesn't like it when people prove her wrong," Ron shrugged, linking arms with her. "She'll get over it."  
  
"I-I didn't mean to make her angry," Scarlett said softly.   
  
"Like Ron said, she'll get over it," Harry promised. "But let's steer clear before she hexes us for taking your side. Let's sit... Ah, there's Neville." They sat around Neville, who blushed brightly when she smiled at him. She didn't quite know why. Did she do something embarrassing... or did he embarrass himself?  
  
Seamus sat down at her other side and she easily launched into conversation with the Irish man. He was funny, and listened to what she said, giving her the wittiest comeback he could muster. "Saw ya in Runes taday, lass," Seamus told her. "Pretty close conversation with Zabini, yeah?"  
  
"We're friends," Scarlett shrugged, wondering how many times she would have to explain this fact to everyone she came in contact with. "Are you with Lavender?"  
  
Seamus snorted at the abrupt question. "And touch her? Nah, wouldn't touch her with a twenty foot pole, lass. Mam warns me about girls like her. Either crawlin' with diseases or she'll tear your eyes out for even being friends with someone other than her." That was a very harsh assessment. "She's been trying ta sleep with me since fourth year."  
  
Neville snorted. "I think she's become desperate. She's asked me a few times."  
  
Scarlett glanced down to where Lavender was sitting, with her gaggle of girls all giggling and gossiping. Scarlett hadn't had a pleasant conversation with her since the hair incident. "I don't think she's desperate, mate. If she was desperate, she'd be asking Zabini or something."  
  
"Actually, he thinks she's a tad desperate, himself," Scarlett admitted quietly. She didn't want to talk ill, but she supposed they didn't like Lavender either. "He says she has this mentality that he's hers forever and always. Sort of creepy."  
  
Seamus shuddered. "Sounds right. Want to keep myself as far away from that as possible." It seemed they all did. Was this common, then? Lavender and the men? "You aren't like that, right?" Seamus questioned her, but the smile on his face informed her that he was teasing. At least, she hoped.   
  
She started to giggle, shaking her head. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but no. I'm not."  
  
"Then we're going to be great friends," Seamus grinned. Scarlett rolled her eyes, picking at the sandwich on her plate. "But enough of the Lav talk. What's up with Hermione?"  
  
"I may have made her mad at me," Scarlett sighed. "I didn't mean to."  
  
"She gets over it. Having Ron as a friend for six years? She starts to let things go fast," Seamus pipped up. "Don't worry ya pretty little 'ead over it." She smiled faintly, but didn't respond. Seamus launched into a conversation with Neville and she listened casually, but was more worried as to what her lessons with Blaise would entail. Glancing towards the Slytherin table, she saw him talking to Draco, nodding slightly as he glanced further down towards Crabbe and Goyle.   
  
What was he up to?


	22. Dictation

She glanced at the stack of books in front of her father, reading the titles. "Sir... these are the ones that Blaise and I were reading in the library."  
  
"Indeed. And you'll find," he stated, gesturing to them, "that these books will contain nothing to get your son back." She swallowed. Oh. "So, if you're looking for another method, I encourage you to take much more discreet steps. There are spies everywhere."  
  
"How... how did you find out?"  
  
"Miss Prince was intrigued by the fact that considering classes hadn't even started yet, two rival Houses were working intently on a research project together." He paused, glancing at her. "So, I informed her that was precisely what they were doing."  
  
Scarlett was lost, again. "Sir?"  
  
"If caught again in the library researching, that is your cover," Severus stated. "Now that the librarian is aware, others will be aware, and your suspicious behavior will now be... diminished. You are both in the Slug Club. Perhaps use that to try to come up with concepts for new potions-"  
  
"But, sir... wouldn't Slughorn be suspicious?"  
  
"If you tell him that you are searching, and when asked say that you are not progressing so far, he will remain interested." She supposed it was a long shot. But a good cover. "Do you have any ideas other than these books and the potion on how to find Tyler?"  
  
Scarlett swallowed. "No, sir... I... I don't even have a clue on where to start. At Grimmauld Place, the books in the library there showed some promise, but I doubt they'll be more helpful than those." He raised an eyebrow. "I just... don't want to get my hopes up."  
  
"That's what you were doing," he murmured. "The first thing you did when alone in that library, was try to find spells."  
  
"It didn't work," Scarlett reminded him. "I... I didn't even know if he was alive, then... I thought he was dead-" She hesitated. "Obviously it didn't work."  
  
"The first thing you do, once you're free, is try to search for him, Scarlett," Severus repeated. "And do you know what that says?"  
  
"I was pathetic if I thought that with no magic training at all, I'd be able to search for a three year old boy."  
  
"Three..." he murmured, glancing down at the books on his desk. "No, Scarlett, it tells me that you want to find him, and that you won't give up, no matter how hard it gets... You haven't, yet." She appreciated his support, but she still didn't want to get her hopes up.   
  
She bit her lip, glancing at her lap. "I had a dream, sir... the potion, is it only capable of recognizing bits of a person, being alive or dead? Or will it be able to only tell if someone is as they should be-"  
  
"What do you mean?" he questioned, taking a few seconds to try to process what it is she was asking. She let out a shuddering breath. "Scarlett?" he pressed. "What did you dream?"  
  
"I dreamt that it was as my worst fears assumed. That the potion couldn't distinguish between Tyler being human and Tyler being... apart of another human. If he truly was used in the ritual, would he be recognized as apart of the Dark Lord, and therefore not dead, sir?"  
  
Severus didn't seem to have considered it. "That is a very valid point, Scarlett. I will look into the matter, try it with subjects with similar conditions-" He cut himself off, wincing. "Well, not entirely similar. Similar conditions, as in a rodent or toad I will apply the test to-" He saw the spasm of pain on her face as she dropped her head, her hair falling over her shoulder. Scarlett had only let Molly cut it a little bit, to get rid of the unhealthy bits, but her hair was still extraordinarily long. "We will find him."  
  
"I hope so, sir... I really, really hope so." She adjusted the top of her uniform. "Sir? What if what my dream tells me is true-?"  
  
"It won't be," Severus said firmly. He swiftly walked around his desk, standing in front of it, between her and the edge, and he sat on the edge, arms folded. "What do you want to work on today?"  
  
"Occulmency," she said immediately. "I'll take the most away from it, at the moment, I think... We don't know if he'll want to see me, again, but if he does... I'd like to be as prepared as possible."  
  
"Very well," he nodded once. His arms dropped beside him and his recently stern face turned into one she was used to seeing. Calm, collected, but with a sympathetic air. "Let us begin." She wasn't as strong in Occulmency as she wanted to be. Wasn't as strong in any of the lessons Severus give her than she wanted to be. She was... well, inadequate. Not mastery by any means.   
  
And it pushed her all the much more.  
  
The session was long, as they used the full fifty minutes solely for Occulmency, and she noticed a slight improvement in blocking him - but the Tyler memories still weren't completely safe. Those were the only ones she truly needed to hide.   
  
"I've heard back from three of the ten suppliers for the potion," Severus stated as she grabbed her bag. "Two have declined, another will be looking into the ingredients, to see what he can do for us." She swallowed back the lump in her throat that spoke of so much hope. "Once the potion ingredients are here, I will begin immediately."  
  
She breathed in relief and couldn't stop the tears from appearing in her eyes. "Thank you, sir... This means the world to me-"  
  
"Go to class," he said after a second, almost uncomfortable. Her Healing class followed Charms, and it was perhaps the one class she looked forward to the most, besides her sessions with Severus. Madame Pomfrey drilled wound basics - discolorations of the skin to pussing wounds, to severely bleeding cuts and clawings. She didn't learn how to heal them, not yet, but she did learn how to identify them. How to determine what made the wound, and how to match them with an object - she supposed having been abused for thirteen years of her life, she knew most of them.   
  
She ate dinner silently, her reading assigment spread out in front of her from Potions. Rereading, really, but she needed to understand the potion she was going to be brewing tomorrow, completely. And then there was her Defense essay... She would have to do it as soon as her lesson with Blaise was over. "Scarlett?"  
  
"Hmm?" she asked, glancing up from her book. Ginny was giving her a concerned look. "Yes?"  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, just need to do my reading. I don't think I'll have time to do it during lunch tomorrow," Scarlett answered. "And I have that Defense Essay tonight."  
  
"Right," Ginny said slowly. "You seem upset."  
  
Scarlett forced a smile, assuring the younger girl. "I'm fine."   
  
"You haven't eaten anything." Scarlett glanced up, before looking to her plate. She had eaten a few chips, but other than that, hadn't really touched her roast beef. "Are you sure?"  
  
She supposed she could finish reading and eat at the same time. "Oh... I forgot about it, actually."  
  
Ginny frowned slightly, obviously worried, but didn't comment. Scarlett lifted her fork, eating some of the roast beef to appease the girl. But she really didn't feel hungry. Perhaps it was nerves, for whatever she'd be learning tonight... Or stress. There was so much work just with her first day. She began to read once more, occassional forking food into her mouth.  
  
What confused her friends even more was when she didn't follow them to the Common Room. "Scarlett, where are you going?"  
  
"Library," she responded, her gaze barely lifting from the book as she followed them up the stairs. "I have a few essays to do. Especially Defense and I want to start it right away."   
  
"Oh," Hermione said quietly. "Okay. Curfew's at eight. Don't be late."  
  
"I won't," Scarlett promised. She knew it wouldn't take that long. An hour for her essay at most, and with Blaise, perhaps another hour, maybe less. She wasn't sure what he had in mind. She found him at the table they had been at last Sunday, nothing in front of him but his wand, and a cautious look.   
  
"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten."  
  
"I took the wrong turn on the stairs, and had to wait for them to come back," she explained. "I was reading and walking."  
  
He snorted. "Only you." His eyes flitted to the librarian, who wasn't pay attention to them. "So... What's first?"  
  
"Why are we having this lesson, again?"  
  
"Snape thinks you have self-confidence issues, so I'm here to ensure that you don't, because you really shouldn't. You're beautiful and kind and intelligent. There's nothing you should hide."  
  
"I can think of numerous things that should stay hidden," she said softly.  
  
"We all can, but that doesn't mean you have to live, constantly folding in on yourself because you don't want the memories or things to be shown." She raised an eyebrow. "You really don't, Scarlett. And this is different than the Tyler stuff, and everything else. Think about the time we would sit in the sun room, and I'd show you those tricks-"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"How did it make you feel?"  
  
"Like a girl again," she admitted. "Apart of the clique."  
  
"Precisely," he said simply. "And that would be because I was showing you a display of magic, which required confidence. And you had to be confident enough in your emotions to act on them, to be fascinated, right?"  
  
"I-I suppose so," she admitted. That did make sense.  
  
"So, why do you think you're not confident?"  
  
"I've lived for most of my life believing I was subhuman. That I deserved to be scrubbing floors and men's pleasure giver, from a very young age. I think that would be a reason I'm not as confident as a normal person."  
  
"Good. So..." He shrugged. "How do you take a compliment?"  
  
"I... I don't know."  
  
"You're gorgeous, you know that?" he said suddenly, his tone warm and sincere.   
  
She blushed immediately, glancing down at the wand that laid on the table. "Blaise... you say this all the time-"  
  
"But it's true," he insisted. "And not just because of this whole compliment thing. You don't see how beautiful you are. Which is a good thing, because when you get vain, it's unattractive, but you literally look as though you're uncomfortable - which you shouldn't. No woman should ever be uncomfortable about their appearance."  
  
She sighed and placed her hands atop the table. "Is this what you're going to be doing the whole time we do this? Give me too many compliments, waiting for me to start brainwashing myself into believing every single one? I don't particularly want to turn into Lavender Brown, you know."  
  
He snorted. "That was sort of the plan, but not really. I kind of give you life lessons, so you don't second guess everything you do, too... Er, Snape's orders."  
  
"Of course it is," she said carefully. "I don't think there's anything wrong with the way I carry myself... is there?"  
  
"Your head's down in the hallways, like you don't want to make eye contact - don't want to be noticed. You always wear your sweater, even though it's dying hot, meaning you don't really want to be noticed physically as well - which I can't blame you. With Crabbe and Goyle still here, I wouldn't want their attention either. But you have nothing to hide. You also sort of shuffle, when you walk, noiselessly, and like you're sneaking around."  
  
"I just didn't want to be noticed at the Manor," she admitted quietly. "It's sort of a habit, now."  
  
"You can walk with your head up, now," Blaise said quietly. "Meet people's eyes. You'd do more damage to them with eye-contact than they could even think about doing with their wand to you - you know far too much for them to overpower you now."  
  
"So, how come you agreed to this?" she asked quietly. "To these... self-esteem lessons."  
  
"I wanted to make sure you were adjusting well," he shrugged. "You went through a lot, and... And I wanted to make sure that you came out okay. Not everyone does." She understood that.  
  
"He's my boggart, you know... Tyler. Lying there, dead and..." she felt her chest rise as she gulped in a breath, overcome with emotions suddenly. "It's horrifying."  
  
"I don't even want to know what mine is," Blaise murmured.  
  
"What are we going to do, if we find him?" she asked him. "We have nothing - I have nothing. Just the Weasley's, and... and here. I don't have a permanent home-" There was a look on his face, one that told her she needed to stop talking, but she couldn't. "Are we searching in vain? What if... what if he's safe, and loved and cared for?" She swallowed, and though it pained her to think it, just as much as it did that he could be hurt, she had to come to terms with the fact that someone else could be taking care of him, that Tyler didn't need any of them. "And he doesn't need us? What do we do then?"  
  
He stood abruptly, grabbing his wand and his bag. And he stormed off. She opened her mouth to apologize, but it was too late, and he was out the door, earning a glare from Madame Pince at his retreat. Scarlett sighed, running a hand through her hair as she rested her elbows on the table. Wonderful. The one person she trusted unequivicably, and she had made him angry.  
  
She pulled out a piece of parchment, and wrote a single phrase at the top of the paper. Volatile Spells. She might as well start his essay as she waited for him to come back.... if he ever came back. She retreived a book or two on her chosen spell, and began writing, unsure how exactly to format a formal essay. She just measured out the appropriate length and began writing.   
  
The seat in front of her was occupied suddenly as the person's bag was placed on the back. "Blaise, I'm sorry-" she began glancing up, but quieted herself as she stared at Cormac. "Oh! Hello. I thought you were someone else."  
  
"Can I sit?" he asked, gesturing to the chair.  
  
"Oh, of course. I'm not sure if I'll be any good company," she admitted quietly. "Professor Snape assigned a fifteen inch essay and... it's not looking to bright at the moment." She glanced down at her essay, narrowing her eyes critically.  
  
"I can take a look, if you want," Cormac offered, offering her a charming smile. "You know, to give any suggestions or whatnot. I'm a seventh year."  
  
"Oh," Scarlett said surprised. She glanced up at him. "Are you sure? You really don't have to-"  
  
"Nonsense. I wouldn't have offered." He took the essay from in front of her when she reluctantly agreed and began reading. "Wow... this is..."  
  
"Horrible, isn't it?" she said quietly, biting her lip.  
  
"Actually great, content-wise... There are a bit spelling and grammar mistakes, though."  
  
She winced. "I'm not a very strong writer," she informed him, letting him take the quill from her hand and mark on her parchment what she needed to correct. "I prefer debating topics or long discussions."  
  
He narrowed his eyes at the paper. "It's weird, though, because you spell all of the hard words right, but it's the really simple words that you spell wrong."  
  
"Oh," she said quietly.   
  
Then he started to draw thick lines between certain lines of words, periodically through the page. "Make those paragraphs." Paragraphs? She nodded, though, like she understood and he eventually passed it back to her. "You sure do know what you're talking about."   
  
"Thank you," she said quietly. She glanced down at the parchment, biting her lip. "Did I write too much? I went a few inches over the set limit-"  
  
"Nah, Snape might give you bonus for that. Not that he doesn't do it often, but if he thinks you know what you're talking about, you're bound to be in the clear." Scarlett hoped Severus knew what she was talking about. "You're a sixth year, aren't you?"  
  
She nodded, glancing up and smiling slightly. "Yeah, I transfered... I'm so glad I could come here... It's everything I've always dreamed of." He smiled, as if her smile was infectious, and twiddled with the quill in his hands, her quill. "Why are you here?" she asked suddenly. "I think it's to correct my essay."  
  
He shrugged. "You were sitting here alone, deep in thought, and I thought I'd be some company." He dug into his bag for a minute and pulled out his own Defense book. "Besides, Snape thinks that assigning a twenty inch piece of parchment would be a good idea the first day of bloody classes."  
  
She smiled. "He knows what he's teaching. I think he's just trying to make sure the information is really sticking in our heads. I'd imagine with some people, he gets frustrated a lot with how much they may forget just in the course of a single class..." He raised an eyebrow. "Of course, I don't know for sure, but if I was him, I think I'd do the same thing."  
  
"I saw you in the Infirmary, a few days ago," he said after a moment. "Were you hurt?"  
  
"Oh, no," she said brightly, pulling out another piece of parchment as she began to rewrite the essay. "I'm taking Healer courses right before dinners. I go there every evening."  
  
"Exactly how many classes do you have?" he asked, shocked.  
  
"Oh, um, six every day, and Saturday classes," she said after a moment, thinking. "It's really not that bad. Today was a bit overwhelming by the change of pace, but I'm excited none the less."  
  
A throat cleared at the end of the table and Scarlett glanced at it sharply, the smile still on her face. It faded once she noticed the annoyed expression on Harry's face. And Ron turning a bright shade of red behind him and Hermione.   
  
"Oh, hello, Harry."  
  
"What's going on here?" Harry asked evenly, glancing at Scarlett pointedly, before glaring at Cormac.   
  
"Oh, Mr. McLaggen was helping me with my essay," Scarlett said pleasantly, showing them her first draft. "It was really dreadful and full of spelling and grammar errors ... I was just getting around to rewriting it when we got to talking-" She blinked. "Why? Is something the matter?"  
  
"I'm going to go," Cormac said suddenly, standing up and grabbing his book. "Uh, and call me Cormac. Mr. McLaggen's my dad."  
  
"Oh-" Scarlett said, telling him he didn't have to leave, but she was interrupted.  
  
"Look, McLaggen, stay away from her," Ron spat. "She doesn't need to be pulled into your whole thing, you got it? She's a good person and-"  
  
"Ron!" Scarlett hissed, glancing at the librarian. "What are you talking about? We were just doing homework-"  
  
"Yeah, and this guy isn't a nice guy," Ron said sharply. Scarlett opened her mouth to say that he seemed perfectly fine, but Ron continued. "And by the way he's been stalking you these past few days, it's no wonder he wants to get into your pants. It's all he ever wants to do-"  
  
"I'll have you know, Weasley," Cormac started.  
  
Scarlett grabbed her books, cutting him off, and causing the others to look at her in surprise. She stood from her chair, an emotion she rarely felt - anger, coursing through her, as she stuffed them in her bag. She rolled up her parchment and stuffed them in her bag, before turning to face her three classmates. "I'm going to my dorm, since you three seem to think I'm incapable of watching out for myself. He's a nice person, and he was helping me with my essay. If that is so horrible for someone to do, then I'll correct my essay in the silence of my dorm and I don't want to be disturbed for the rest of the night."  
  
She strode away, swallowing at the emotions clogging her throat and left the library with very little noise. She only made it a few steps past the door when she heard Harry following. "Scarlett!"  
  
"Leave me alone, Harry," Scarlett requested firmly, her pace even as she kept walking.  
  
"He doesn't have the greatest reputation, Scarlett," Harry called to her. "He's messed around with at least half of the girls at this school in some way or another. The story's always the same. He flirts with them, gets them comfortable around him, and then he sleeps with them. I don't want you ending up like them, Scarlett... Please stop walking away. You walk fast-"  
  
She turned, huffing angrilly. "I can decide for myself who I should be friends with and who I shouldn't," she informed him. "Coming to Hogwarts meant making friends, and meeting people and experiencing things I've never had the chance to experience before. So... if that includes being friends with Mr.- Cormac, that includes it. But you can't tell me - shout at me, really - that I can't be friends with someone. You don't seem to have a problem at all with any of the other people I'm friends with."  
  
"But Scarlett, that's Cormac McLaggen. He's the biggest player in the school. You don't know him like we do. You haven't seen everything we have-"  
  
"You're right, I haven't," Scarlett said sharply. "And maybe it's better that way. Because I don't want to be clouded by the prejudice you judge everyone with. It's not just Cormac. It's all of the Slytherins, other guys in other houses, Luna, and even Dean - because you're jealous that he's dating Ginny." She swallowed when he seemed shocked. "I need some time alone... I'm sorry, Harry, I just... I came from a place where everything I did was dictated, and... and I don't want that again. I want to make my own choices... and if that means getting hurt, then so be it. They're my choices and therefore my consequences."   
  
"Scarlett!" Harry called, but she shook her head and turned, walking briskly back to Gryffindor Tower. She had an essay to finish writing, and much more to finish reading.


	23. Experiments

She pointedly avoided Harry, Ron, and Hermione whenever she could, but it was difficult, with her classes. So, she walked that morning to the Defense room alone, placing her fresh essay upon the pile on her father's desk, and then walked to breakfast. Severus wasn't awake yet, it seemed.   
  
She sat at meals with Neville, Seamus, Dean, and Ginny, getting to know the other half of her Gryffindor grade level, rather than who her brother and his friends deemed fit. It was tense. And despite them trying to form a conversation in classes, she would busy herself in her work. She like the alone time. It allowed her to get things done, to not worry about socializing. She was able to relax in front of the fire in the Common Room fireplace, her eyes closed, listening to the chatter, running through the Healing facts she would have just recently read.  
  
Her lessons with Snape continued more strong than they ever had been. She began to sneak away to the Room of Requirement before dawn every morning and she would request a room to train in - one that she could run and box in without scrutiny. It let her beat out the stress from all of the work. It kept her happy. And it kept her fit.   
  
Blaise certainly noticed. "So... you seem rather chippy this morning," he said Saturday morning, before her Divination class as she did some last minute extra reading in the library.   
  
"I'm just in a good mood, is all," she said brightly. "Why?"  
  
"You haven't been talking to Potter or Granger for a week now," he said after a moment. "Everything okay?"  
  
"I got angry," she admitted. "I yelled at them and I just wanted some time for myself. They were trying to tell me who to be friends with and..." He raised an eyebrow. "I should apologize but this last week has been so peaceful. I have so much free time to do extra things, that Severus has even given me a project to do for Potions and another for Defense."  
  
"You have that much free time when you aren't friends with Potter?"  
  
"They just follow me around and bug me a lot," she admitted. "I mean, they still do, but... at least they leave me alone so I can get my work done in one effort instead of six or seven."  
  
"This wouldn't happen to be for Monday night, right?"  
  
She winced. "I am sorry, about saying what I did to you. I got overwhelmed. It was a very stressful day for me-"  
  
"Oh, no, I was talking about after I left," Blaise said quietly. "What you said to me was fine. I understood why you said it. I just... needed time to think, too, is all."   
  
"Oh. So, does everyone know Cormac sat with me?" Scarlett sighed, hugging her books close to her as she walked towards the Great Hall. A wrong turn on the staircase had led her to be led to the far end of the Grand Staircase and she had to walk along the floor of the dungeon floor towards the Great Hall, where she ran into him. "Yes, that's what started it all. Ron and Hermione hate him. And Harry's just trying to look out for me."  
  
"You're allowed to be friends with who you want," he agreed with her. "Cormac may be a git sometimes, but I heard he was just helping with homework."  
  
"He was," she admitted. "That was all. So I thought their reaction was entirely unwarranted. And quite frankly, childish. I'm completely capable of watching after myself-" At his raised eyebrow, she flushed. "Okay, that was one time and it hasn't happened since! Besides, I think they're too scared to come near me."  
  
"Well, I hear you have detention tomorrow in the dungeon with Snape." Scarlett's lips twitched. A set up, she knew, but he didn't. "And they got one too. Cleaning Slughorn's store room?"  
  
She sighed. "I didn't sleep well Wednesday night and I was a little slow on my feet in Defense on Thursday.... Crabbe and Goyle exploded a potion in Potions... Snape had duty tomorrow night for detentions, so we're set to clean it out."  
  
"Don't be alone with them," Blaise requested.  
  
They paused in the Entrance Hall, not quite going inside yet, so that they could talk. She knew, though, that she would have to be alone with them for the whole plan to work. It was something Severus had talked with her about yesterday. They determined a limit - fifteen minutes. And she would have all of the skills she's been taught - which would alert him to return if she used them.   
  
"I won't," she promised Blaise hollowly, knowing it was a lie. "I'll be fine. Severus won't let them hurt me-"  
  
"About what you said, on Monday," Blaise said suddenly. "I... I left mostly because I had to think, and it's a bit difficult to do around you." She frowned slightly, confused. He continued hastilly, as if mistaking her response. "I mean, I'm trying to set something up, if we find him... Some money, you know? I have plenty, we all know it," Blaise shrugged. Scarlett's eyes slowly widened, understanding what he was saying. "I'm sort of putting it away and all... for when we find him, if he needs it. And if not, then it's there for him, just in case something happens to us, or something. I'm of age, and everything, so I can do it legally, and it's just a small portion of my inheritence so it doesn't hurt anything." He swallowed, as if embarrassed. "It's the least I can do, really."  
  
"Blaise," she murmured, confused. "That's... that's more than I ever..." She swallowed, embracing him suddenly, and he stumbled back by how quickly she had run into him. "You're amazing, do you know that?"  
  
"Tell me more," he chuckled. She pulled away, wiping at her eyes. Not she really felt inadequate. She had nothing to offer Tyler, if they found him. "Um, you can use it, too, to, uh, get a place or something, after you graduate, if you have Tyler... Or stay with the Weasleys or something, I don't know... I just wanted to give you some options."  
  
She sniffled. "What would I ever do without you?" She swallowed back the tears that were appearing in her eyes. "Thank you... I don't know how to say thank you enough."  
  
"He's my son too," Blaise said softly, touching her arm as if to comfort her. "I want the best for the both of you." She could hear the sincerity. She could feel it, warming her blood. "So just promise me, when you find him... I'll be able to see him."  
  
"Of course you will, you dolt," she giggled, smacking his arm. "What did you think was going to happen?"  
  
He swallowed. "Scarlett... I do love you. A lot. But... as friends."  
  
She blinked. "Oh, well that's good, because I've been thinking of us as friends this whole time... so if something was wrong here-"  
  
"I mean... in the Wizarding World, Scarlett..." He hesitated, biting his cheek as though he didn't know how to explain. "A witch and a wizard are only able to marry the ones they have children with."   
  
"Oh," she said softly. "I mean I knew that, but I didn't really think... about it... with us, you know?"   
  
"Which is okay," he said quickly. "I'm not proposing or anything. Don't get that idea." She giggled. He was flustered. "I'm not the right guy for you... I don't think I am anyway... You deserve someone that can make you happy, and laugh, and not remind you of bad stuff." She tilted her head, confused. "So... unless we fall desperately in love with each other - which don't get me wrong, would be bloody fantastic - we don't have to worry about the whole marriage thing, if anyone finds out about this. I mean, you just can't have a wizarding wedding... Muggle weddings are acceptable and all-" He cleared his throat.   
  
"So don't date you," Scarlett summed up after a second.  
  
"Uh..." He scrunched up his face, thinking over what he had said. "Yeah, basically. And don't date you."  
  
She giggled. "I do love you, Blaise, but as a friend, as well. So... you don't have to marry me. I'm not going to force you into marriage or anything... that'd be stupid. And I agree. Unless there's helpless romance at work, I'm not going to expect anything like that from you. Friendship would be nice though."  
  
"Well I bloody hope we can be friends," he grumbled. "After all we've been through? It'd be stupid not to be."  
  
She agreed with a small smile. "We'll find him, Blaise. And we'll both be apart of his life somehow - even if it's being a house plant where he's at." Blaise snorted. "And we'll be apart of it together, okay? Because it may be selfish of me, but I don't want to do it alone."  
  
"And I'm not going to let you."  
  
With that taken care of, she pulled him into the Great Hall, aware of a few eyes turning towards them. And they broke paths so that they could go to their respective homes. Blaise was one of her best friends, and she would cherish that, because friends were the only thing she could undoubtedly count on.   
  
Sunday morning, she arrived at dawn, after her session alone in the Room of Requirement, to see that the Defense classroom was stripped bare of all of the desks and there was simply a circle drawn in the middle of the floor out of chalk. A perfect circle, a small circle dead in the middle.   
  
What was this? She set her bag down tenatively, glancing around the room to try to find Severus, but he was no where to be seen. She approached the circle, walked around the circumference, before she stopped where she began, and then stepped inside. She gasped in surprise to find Severus standing in the middle, where the white dot had been.   
  
"Oh! I-I'm sorry, sir, I didn't know you were in here-"  
  
"Precisely the point," he said swiftly. "We begin with combat. If you fall out of the circle, you lose twenty points from Gryffindor. And you don't want to fall out more than five times, or Madame Pomfrey will not be pleased." What?  
  
"Er, perhaps I should take my outer clothing off, first, sir, if we're going to be fighting." He nodded in acknowledgement and she stepped out of the circle, walking towards her bag as she pulled off her sweater and loose jeans, revealing an athletic tank top and athletic shorts. They worked best for these lessons. But she doubted for long. They would often get caught on her hands, the fabric loose from her skin, so it was easy to grab - a hazard. She entered the circle once more and they began.  
  
She loved how much more she got out of hand on hand combat, rather than punching a mindless bag with all of the techniques she learned. He grunted at the force of one of her kicks, stepping outside of the ring on accident.   
  
She smiled, breathing heavily, and watched as Severus rubbed the spot she had kicked. "Your strength has increased a lot since our last session. What have you been doing?"  
  
"I go to the Room of Requirement every morning from about three to six," she admitted, shrugging. "It's so peaceful, at that time."  
  
"Don't you sleep?"  
  
She nodded brightly. "Of course, sir. I go to bed at about nine or so every night and wake up at two-thirty. I'm not able to sleep long. Either nightmares or I just wake up so refreshed... so I need something to do with my time. It's a great way to get out stress, sir."  
  
"Indeed," he said shortly. "Keep it up, then. It's helping."  
  
"What happens when you step out of the circle, sir?"  
  
He gritted his teeth. "Slytherin loses twenty points."  
  
She smiled, liking the incentive. "I like it, sir."  
  
They sparred again, until Scarlett landed on her back in the middle of the circle, gasping for breath as it seemed to leave her. "You've just had the wind knocked out of you," he stated dryly. "The best way to get rid of it is to stand with your hands on top of your head. It allows your heart rate to regulate and you breathe normally." She did as instructed, finding that it did help significantly. "Whenever you're ready."  
  
She didn't wait. Her opponents if she was in true danger wouldn't wait. Of course, not waiting meant that she was easily defeated, her foot slipping out of the circle, barely, so barely that when she froze, he didn't notice at first why, until he glanced down and saw a quarter inch of her shoe over the white line.  
  
"Tisk, tisk. Twenty points from Gryffindor."  
  
"Sir, on the point registry, how is this going to show up?"  
  
He smirked, as if amused. "Stepping out of line."  
  
She giggled, finding it just as amusing as he did, and they sparred once more. By the time the bell tolled nine, she had lost Gryffindor a good forty points, and he Slytherin a hefty eighty. She was getting better, but she still suspected he held back. Afterall, he blocked most of her kicks and jabs with ease, until all of the sudden he wasn't able to, as if flipping a switch.  
  
She was onto him.   
  
They retired for breakfast, him leading her up to his office and having her sit in the usual chair she occupied, water presented to the pair of them by the overly attentive elf. "Detention today, sir, after lunch," Scarlett said quietly.   
  
"What about it?"   
  
She swallowed nervously. "After we likely think they'll converge on me, what then?"  
  
"I will send them off and I will take you to the Infirmary, when in reality I'm taking you here where we will put you right in front of the boggart almost immediately. If this doesn't work... we'll have to think of other methods."  
  
"Like memory alteration and potential situation creations."  
  
"Yes. I've begun brewing a nightmare potion," Severus told her, "just in case." Breakfast appeared just then and they began to eat, but he kept explaining. "The potion, with the infusion of Crabbe and Goyle's hair, will create a horrific nightmare that will ... leave a few scars... mentally. You will not want to go near them ever again. It is sure to do the trick. The Dark Lord used it in the first war to torture the Order members he caught, to brainwash them into hating their loved ones."  
  
"That's horrible, sir," she said quietly. "But if today's detention doesn't work, I'm more than willing to try it."  
  
"You will most likely need to spend the night in the hospital wing or under my supervision, as you will be unable to be woken from your nightmare. It must run its course... And when you do wake, you may feel disoriented, sick, and potentially extremely unaware of your surroundings."  
  
"Would the nightmare potion be the Headmaster's idea, or yours, sir?" she asked curiously.   
  
He sighed. "Mine. I've taken to keeping Albus as far out of our affairs as I can."  
  
"I see, sir." If he thought it was a good idea, then she trusted him.   
  
They dabbled in Occulmency for the remainder of the morning, until lunchtime, when they ate lunch, discussing the potion ingredients he was still searching for. Only ten of the thirty had replied, so far. It was a good number, to Scarlett. It meant people were interested in helping him. But as she understood it, he divided the list into small portions, asking each apothecary and dealer for one or two ingredients off of the long list each. So if any large number of them said no, it would be extremely difficult to find them.   
  
He seemed to have hope, however, that he'd get the ingredients he needed. Multiple people had been sent duplicate ingredients of harder to acquire items, just in case.   
  
Detention was immediately following lunch, and she headed down to the Potions room ahead of Severus, who promised he was only a minute behind. She didn't expect Goyle or Crabbe to arrive until well after the designated time.  
  
And they didn't. Her and Severus sat for nearly ten minutes before she could hear their lumbering steps in the hallway.  
  
"Finally, Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle..." Severus sneered, looking them over. "If you'll join Miss Prince in the storage room. You will be cleaning and correctly labeling the jars, of which I will be watching closely so that you don't attempt to sabotage my NEWTs classes."  
  
She knew which ones were mislabeled, as they had spent the ten minutes waiting in order to mislabel them - that and some of the ones Slughorn had down here were a tad mislabeled as well... some also illegal. She could feel the beefy men's eyes on her as they worked silently, the two buffoons breaking more things than labeling them, causing her to hear the glass crunch under her feet.   
  
Suddenly there was a tapping on the window of a perfectly timed owl - one she hadn't expected to come. Severus snatched the parchment from its leg and his jaw tense. "I will be back in a moment. There's an injury in the infirmary that requires my attention. If any of you are gone when I come back, your detentions will last for a month and will be in the presence of Hagrid, am I understood?"  
  
"Yes, sir," Scarlett said clearly, and the oafs just muttered.  
  
This wasn't the plan. He was... he was really leaving this time.   
  
It made Scarlett's eyes wide as she tried to stay calm, grabbing another jar off the shelf.   
  
"So, girl, lay anyone yet?"  
  
She ignored them, taking a deep breath to stay calm and she inspected the ingredients before determining it was properly labeled. She placed it on the opposite shelf, in alphabetical order.   
  
"Oi, girl, I'm talking to you."  
  
She could easily pretend like they weren't there. Afterall, they looked as though they belonged as gargoyles up in the rafters of the room-  
  
Someone grabbed her arm, jerking her sharply so that she tripped over some glass and crashed into the shelf beside her, knocking a few items down onto the floor at her feet. "I said, I'm talking to you," Goyle hissed.  
  
She was breathing fast. And she was showing them fear. Which gave them power over her. "What was the q-question?" she whispered.  
  
"I asked if you laid anyone yet," he snapped. "Because I fully intend to be the only one that gets to touch you in the castle. Is that understood? The Dark Lord may have you as his play thing, but Draco and Blaise have nothing, do you understand?"  
  
The Dark Lord's play thing. She was no such thing. "I-I'm not sure the Dark Lord would like it if you touched what was his," Scarlett said smoothly, wondering if she could talk herself out of it.   
  
"Oh, I won't hurt you," Goyle grinned maliciously. "Much." She whimpered and felt the hand closing on her throat, making it harder to breathe. Her hand grabbed it, trying to pull it away, but he was stronger than her. "Snape'll be gone for what? Twenty minutes? A half hour? He won't even know what happened to his little progidy Gryffindor-"   
  
"But the Dark Lord might," she said shakily, grasping at the hand as he tightened the grip. "And we don't want the Dark Lord angry-"  
  
"Maybe then he'll kill you," Goyle snapped.   
  
"Fuck her, Greg," Crabbe's voice rooted a few steps back. "Before she really submits."   
  
Scarlett whimpered as Goyle seemed to like the idea, slamming her once more against the shelf, making her eyes water and her back ache. She couldn't get a good grip on anything to kick him. She had no strength, as she was quickly loosing air and she wouldn't be able to stay conscious for much longer.   
  
"I just might-" His other hand pulled at her sweater, making the knitting stretch and ruin itself. She really did like the sweater. It was warm and cozy. She often spent her Sunday evenings after Astronomy curled up in it by the fire. She heard the fabric tear and black dots swam in her vision. "Guard the door, Vince," Goyle ordered. Goyle's hand reached behind her, grabbing a vial and he smashed it inches from her face, revealing a sharp blade of glass a second later.   
  
Oh, Merlin.   
  
Crabbe shuffled off, heading towards the door, listening for when Snape returned. She prayed he would return now. As if he forgot something. The glass shard came closer to her cheek and she felt tears in her eyes as she struggled not only to breathe but to get out of the way of it possibly scarring her face. She didn't want anymore scars. She had enough.  
  
The door swung open so suddenly that she flinched and a very angry Severus Snape stood there, effectively causing Crabbe to go sheet white.   
  
"What. Is going. On. Here?"  
  
Goyle instantly dropped her, causing her to begin coughing as she fought to bring air back to her lungs. "Nothing-" He kicked her sharply, as if to shut her up. "Nothing, sir."  
  
"I see..." His eyes swept between the boys. "You two do realize that the Dark Lord favors her for the information she can bring to him, don't you?" He sneered as the boys both stammered excuses. "He will be notified of this incident and you can be rest assured that your fathers will not be pleased with what punishment they'll receive."   
  
"But, sir- She's nothing but a Mudblood whore," Goyle snarled. "She can be treated however Purebloods see fit-"  
  
"And you'll find that this... how did you put it? Mudblood whore? Is actually a Halfblood that is valuable to bringing the Dark Lord information on Potter, you fool!" Snape snarled right back. Scarlett too a deep breath through her nose and exhaled through her mouth, finding she could breathe normally again. "If he knows that you've hurt her, that you've possibly given her reason not to trust our side fully?" Goyle paled, understanding. "You'll be dead in a heartbeat."  
  
"Sir-Sir, it's not my fault!" Goyle insisted, desperately. "She dresses so provocatively. I can't control myself!" What? She glanced down at her clothing, shuffling past him so that she wasn't trapped in the storage closet anymore. Her clothing was nothing but covering, and not even close to form-fitting. The jeans were loose, the sweater almost poofy. If anything, it made her less appealing. It was what she hoped for.  
  
Severus sneered. "I'll be sure to tell the Dark Lord of your weaknesses. Come, girl, let's get you to the Infirmary for any damage. I will not jeopardize my life for these imbiciles. You are dismissed, the both of you, but I expect you to show up for detention with Filch tomorrow evening promptly at six." He grabbed Scarlett's arm and pulled her roughly from the room, up the stairs, towards the Defense classroom.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
She swallowed, forcing the tears back from her eyes as she used her other arm, that wasn't being pulled nearly from her body, to clutch at the hole in her sweater. "I'll... I'll get there, sir."  
  
"The Dark Lord will be most displeased to hear it."  
  
She was thrust into the room and almost immediately the boggart was released, making her flinch as she tried to imagine something - something other than Tyler. But it was too late. Tyler appeared, making her already fragile emotional state crack, and she fell to her knees, sobbing. Severus banished it immediately, kneeling down beside her.   
  
"I tried to make the situation seem more real, by faking an owl," Severus told her gently, a hand on her shoulder, as if unsure how to comfort her. "And you bought it, at least. It didn't work?"  
  
"I was terrified, sir," she admitted after she controlled her emotions from bursting forth in a shower of tears. "But... but I couldn't help but keep worrying about Tyler... if he killed me, what would happen-"  
  
Severus sighed. "Very well. We'll try the memory alterations next. We'll take old memories and swap them for slightly altered memories. Your old memories locked away in my desk." She liked the idea. "You feel much too strongly for the fear of Tyler, in order for your fear of the baffoons to override it." She nodded, agreeing, breathing in. Out. In. Out.   
  
"What memories will you alter?" she asked quietly.  
  
"I will make it so that for the time being, you believe him to be dead. I will have it so that the potion shows his name as grey, and your affection towards him will be diminished to that of an old acquaintence. It can all be restored at a moments notice - perhaps a keyword in your head that will appear in a moment of extreme emotion distress."   
  
"Like a passcode, sir?"  
  
"Precisely. However, it would have to be a precise range of emotions. It can't be something that can be set off at a Death Eater meeting... Perhaps intense confusion, a fear for the confusion..." He took a deep breath. "I will notify Mr. Zabini of this memory change, so that he won't bring up Tyler in a hopeful occurance. We don't want that. All owls from my mother will be intercepted by me first. I'll notify her as well, having her send them to me. Mr. Zabini will tell Draco-" Scarlett nodded, agreeing.  
  
"Sir, what if... what if someone finds out?" she questioned. "Not from me, but if they did the potion themselves? Maybe some blood or hair when I wasn't looking?"  
  
"Then your memories will be unlocked as soon as the information is leaked. I'll add another passcode for that, so to speak. A trigger."   
  
It all sounded so complicated. She agreed, however, and pulled her wand out of her jean pocket, murmuring a mending charm on her sweater. And then he stood, moving towards his office, but she stayed on the ground where she had collapsed, taking a deep breath. She felt like staying, until he returned. She didn't want to think about Crabbe. Or Goyle. Or Tyler. She just wanted to focus on the silence around her, and the soft taps of Severus's feet as he walked up the stairs towards his office. 


	24. New Friends and Slugs

Memory alterations didn't work. If anything, it made her images and the Boggart all the worse. It made her depressed, untalkative, so distraught that even Ginny went to Snape for help about her. The memories were restored nearly three days following the attempt, and they agreed not to do it again.   
  
She sat at the foot of her bed, rummaging through her trunk as quietly as possible as her roommates slept. It was nearly two in the morning, and Scarlett had slept fitfully, unable to rest. She needed something to read. Her fingers pulled out an unfamiliar book, trying to find a title in the dim light, but she couldn't see one. She carefully rose from the bed and made her way to the window, where the moonlight showed the blank leather cover.   
  
Oh, it was the journal. In fact, it intrigued Scarlett. Would writing about Tyler lessen her fear? What if all she needed to do was talk about it? To herself, in a nonjudgemental way? So she wrote, detailing the night he was born, the night he was taken, and the night she found out he was alive. She wrote it all hurriedly, not caring for grammar, but neatly, as she wrote it to review over and over again.   
  
And when she finished, she folded it, feeling as though a load was off of her chest, and tucked it neatly under her mattress, not wanting anyone to find it. They were her deepest secrets.   
  
And then she forgot about the journal, about the contents it hid, as the next few weeks passed. Her extra assignments Professor Snape gave to her, adding to her courseload. She rarely slept long, but she felt energized, healthy, happy. Her trainings in the morning were consistent, and her skill improved.   
  
It was a week after the memory alteration attempt that she suggested obliviation of all memories containing Tyler, but Severus refused immediately. Obliviated memories would never be recovered. And she didn't want that. They then decided to focus more on the potion, instead of her memories.   
  
The stress of being unable to fear what she needed to fear was... well, getting to her. To add to matters, she still hadn't made ammends with Harry and Ron and Hermione, and they almost acted as though it didn't bother them, except for the occassional attempts to talk to her - mostly in class when Hermione would partner up with her.   
  
She gasped at the time on the clock in the far room of the library, knowing she was running a few minutes late for her Healing courses. Oh, it would take at least ten minutes to walk there. Five if she ran.   
  
She began to pack her things, barely noticing when Cormac appeared. "Hey, Prince," he greeted.  
  
"Hey," she said absently, groaning when she dropped her bag, her assortment of parchments and quills fluttering in a wide radius from where she stood. She knelt immediately, grabbing at the things. Cormac did as well, helping her pack.  
  
"Did I... do something?"   
  
"I'm sorry, what?" Scarlett questioned, her breath fast as she hurriedly snatched up her quills.   
  
"Did I do something, to upset you? You've sort of been avoiding me since the last time we were in here-"  
  
"Oh, no, no I just have a lot of work to do and... and it's a bit hectic. If you'll excuse me-" Scarlett stood swiftly, slinging her bag over her shoulder and grabbing a textbook she borrowed, placing it in the shelf a few steps behind him.   
  
"The rumors about me... I mean some of them are true, but the new ones aren't, I promise," he told her, grabbing her hand as she turned to leave. "Scarlett?"  
  
"I'm-I'm sorry, but I'm late to class, and I really need to go," Scarlett said quietly, but frustratedly. She gave him an apologetic expression. "I'm barely paying attention. I'll talk to you later, okay? Find me in the Common Room or something."  
  
"It's the Slug Club tonight. Will you be going?"  
  
She groaned. She had forgotten. "Where is it?"  
  
"His quarters... I can walk you there from the infirmary, if you want, so we can talk."  
  
She sighed, knowing that each minute she stayed here would be one minute she was late. "Yeah, sure, I'll see you then. Thanks for the stuff that spilled-" And she darted out of the library as quickly as she could without running. As soon as she was in the hall, she sprinted, knowing she was breaking about three school rules in doing so.  
  
She reached the Infirmary in record time, panting, and winced at the look on Madame Pomfrey's face. "I'm so sorry," Scarlett gasped. "I got so caught up in writing my Arithmancy equation that-" She shook her head. "No excuse, I'm sorry-"  
  
She sniffed. "Yes, well... if it were anyone else... I believe you've proven yourself that a few minutes is fine - for today only." Scarlett nodded immediately, knowing she couldn't slack off. "Recite the ten properties of the bulbuss powder inflused with wormwood, and then give me the three incidences in which you'd use them."  
  
The pop quiz made Scarlett relax. She could do this.   
  
The hour lecture on potions ingredients, instead of potions themselves, used to cure certain things intrigued Scarlett, and it was one that she wanted to read more up on in her spare time. She had enjoyed the lesson so much, that she didn't remember the Slug Club dinner until she walked out of the Infirmary and spotted Cormac leaning against the wall, his hands shoved in the pockets of his caurderoys and his sweater argyle.   
  
It wasn't a fancy dinner, right? Scarlett glanced down at the black sweater she was wearing, with an equally as black skirt. It would do. "Hey," he greeted.  
  
"Hey," she returned, her hands holding the strap of her bag tightly as she ran through the lessons Blaise had given her. Head straight. Walk, don't shuffle. Don't be afraid to meet the eyes. "I didn't think you'd actually walk me."  
  
He shrugged. "We can stop by the Common Room if you want to drop your bag off. It doesn't start until five."   
  
"Oh, no, that's okay," Scarlett admitted, shrinking the bag in a fluid motion of her wand and sliding it into her sweater pocket. "Thanks, though."  
  
"Sorry, about bothering you earlier," he said after a moment, scratching his neck as they made a turn, walking down the creaky wooden stairs of the clocktower. "I just hadn't been able to see you alone, yet. You're always around either Weaslette or that Zabini bloke, so..." he shrugged. "Didn't want to possible cause a ruckus."  
  
She appreciated it, knowing that Blaise would have been okay if Cormac had approached. Ginny on the other hand might have used the glaring power of Molly, inherited especially for moments she was annoyed. "Oh, well... that's alright... I lost track of time earlier so sorry for appearing... frazzled." Frazzled was a good word to describe it. He shrugged, his hands still in his pockets as he kicked at invisible dust, his eyes on the ground as they walked. "You mentioned rumors... I didn't know there were rumors."  
  
"Oh, yeah, everyone's got some rumors, at least," Cormac grinned, glancing at her. She smiled slightly, feeling a warmth in her cheeks. "Mine are the usual, but... I-I want you to know that most of them aren't true about me. I haven't slept with half the girls in the school... Could you imagine sleeping with half of the female staff?" He shuddered, making Scarlett giggle. His sense of humor calmed her, made her previous stress for the day evaporate the more he continued. "I'm not that big of a player... I have had my fair share of girlfriends, but I don't..." He hesitated. "I'm not a jerk about it."  
  
"Okay," she said, shrugging. "Why are you telling me this? I could have known this, from simple observation."  
  
"Not many people take the time to be observant," he shrugged. It was true. She could only imagine how much trouble everyone in the school would be in, if everyone observed each other. "I, uh, also don't believe the ones about you."  
  
Now she was surprised. She glanced at him, raising an eyebrow, much like she had seen her father do, but her expression was one of confusion, instead of her father's trademark annoyance. "About me?"  
  
"You haven't heard?" he asked, as confused as her, it seemed. There were rumors about her? "Erm, yeah, that you and Zabini are secretly married... and that's why you were homeschooled, but now that you're of age, you're legally allowed to make your own decisions to go to school-"  
  
She snorted. "That's absolutely ridiculous. No, that's definitely not true. Blaise and I are friends, nothing more."  
  
He shrugged. "Also, there's rumor that you broke up with Crabbe and Goyle and they've got some vendetta against you."  
  
"No about the break up. I wouldn't even consider dating them for a million galleons," Scarlett giggled. Was this a serious one? She couldn't see how any of this could possibly be believed. "Although, they do have a vendetta and absolutely despise me."  
  
"Well, the whole school despises them, so I suppose you don't need to take their point of view for any grain of salt." Grain of salt? She didn't voice her question aloud, instead listening as he continued. "Also, word has it you're brighter than Hermione Granger."  
  
"Oh, no," Scarlett debunked, shaking her head, her hair falling slightly from the braid Ginny had done at lunch. "Hermione is much smarter than I am. They wouldn't call her brightest witch of her age, after all, if it wasn't true."  
  
"How are your essays?" he asked suddenly, and Scarlett saw that he was eyeing the ground again, almost nervous?   
  
"Oh, they're... doing okay. Thank you for your help, by the way, that day. I had never written an essay in my life." He seemed surprised by this bit of information, but didn't comment on it. Scarlett cursed herself for being so careless. No one knew that she was a servant. No one was supposed to know except for those that did.   
  
"If you want grammar help, I'd be more than happy to, you know. My dad drilled grammar in me when I was little..." He gave her a charming smile once more, as if offering friendship. "I'd be more than happy to help." He blinked. "I already said that, didn't I?"  
  
She giggled. "Thank you, for the offer, but I'm sure you have more valuable ways to spend your time than... tutoring a sixth year in grammar. Besides, don't you have your own school work?"  
  
He shrugged. "I only do it for the classes I care about. Divination is a waste of my time. And I don't really need it so I don't know why I'm taking it."  
  
"What do you want to do?" she asked curiously, peering at him as he seemed to flush slightly, his eyes once more on the ground.  
  
"Uh, I want Hooch's job. Flying instructor for Hogwarts."  
  
"Oh! That's fascinating. I've never ridden a broom, either," Scarlett admitted. "I didn't take first year and thankfully they didn't put that into my course schedule - I honestly don't have any room and I'm absolutely horrified by heights."  
  
"You've never ridden? Not even when you were little or anything?"  
  
She shook her head. "No, where I grew up, I wasn't given a broom to fly." A broom to sweep on the otherhand... "I actually was more interested in the garden and the various herbs and things that grew in it. In otherwords, I keep myself planted to the ground."  
  
He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "So, you didn't grow up Muggle then?"  
  
"Er, no," Scarlett admitted. She didn't know how to respond, though. Because if he asked... "I was raised by a Pureblood family. They had the most beautiful garden, stretched the whole length of the home."  
  
"You don't live with them anymore?" he asked, confused. "You're talking about them in past tense."  
  
"Oh, no... I, uh, moved in with the Weasley's this summer," Scarlett said quietly. "Which is good. I love the Weasley family."  
  
He didn't seem to push the topic, which Scarlett appreciated. "I grew up in a Ministry family. My dad works for the Minister, and it's a bloody awful job, looking at it from the outside. Dad likes it though, but... ugh. I don't intend to follow in his footsteps... Uh, what was it you wanted to do again?"  
  
"Oh, I want to be a Healer," Scarlett said brightly. "I don't care where, as long as I heal people."  
  
"My Mum's a healer in St. Mungo's," he said brightly, smiling back at her. "She's a Specialist in the Spell Damage ward. Wicked Healer, fierce glare that'll make even Snape swallow a potion."  
  
She giggled. "Your mum sounds delightful." Their footsteps stopped suddenly at the entrance to the Slug's door. "Well... I suppose knocking is the best way to approach the situation," she thought aloud. She reached out, rapping her knuckles lightly against the wood. "Uh, thank you, for walking me down here. It was very kind of you."  
  
"Anytime. Can I see you around sometime? Uh, if you take up my offer on the grammar or something?"  
  
"Sure," Scarlett agreed. "I could use a little grammar tips... if you're willing. Honestly, my writing is atrocious." The door swung open and a seat of a few guests were gathered around a table, Professor Slughorn's eyebrows all at different heights as he surveyed the two.   
  
"Oh, come in, come in!" he insisted. "We've just begun the appetizers!" And as soon as Scarlett walked into the room, Hermione's curious expression as to who was at the door turned into a scowl when she noticed Cormac. The warning look she gave Scarlett made the good mood nearly deflate out of her body. Well... there was always next time.


	25. Lectures and Thestrals

Despite Scarlett knowing she was getting a lecture on the way back to the Common Room that evening, she couldn't help but sigh as Hermione began to list all of the reasons she shouldn't talk to Cormac - ever. The main reason being that he was a womanizer. Scarlett didn't quite know what that was, but she had a guess.  
  
"Hermione," Scarlett said after she entered the Common Room, turning to face the bushy-haired girl that Scarlett admired greatly. Hermione paused, as if expecting Scarlett to admit she was right, Scarlett was wrong, and that everything could be merry again. "I don't care about your lecture. I'm sorry, but it's true." She hated being blunt but Blaise was once again in her head. _Don't be afraid to say what's on your mind._ "I can make my own friends. I don't need you listing the pros and cons of peope I decide to talk to - I'm sorry they're not people you talk to. But I don't intend to stay in a social bubble of only you, Harry, and Ron. Because that's the only people you talk to. Are you three... and I don't want to limit myself to only a select group of so many. Like I told Harry, I came to Hogwarts to make friends, and whether they're Slytherin or Hufflepuff or shopkeepers that live in Hogsmeade, they're my friends."  
  
Hermione gave a huff of air, as if readying for another lecture. "And when he sleeps with you, breaks your heart? Then what?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Why would I sleep with Cormac McLaggen? I have no intentions of sleeping with anyone... So, if he breaks my trust, as a friend, then he breaks it. I can't do anything about that. But I can't have that what if, Hermione, when you won't even let me do it in the first place. Besides, I'm eighteen - legally older than you and Harry. I'm of age. I can tell my own sort, thank you."  
  
She pulled her bag out of her pocket, enlarging it as she climbed up into the window aclove near the fireplace, setting her things down. "Scarlett!" Hermione said hotly. "Don't you dare walk away! Look, this isn't just about you. And who you're making friends with. This is about loyalty and the war, too. How do you know you can trust the people you hang out with? Blaise Zabini? A Death Eater, Scarlett. They all are-"  
  
"I assure you," Scarlett said with a smirk, opening a book as she leaned against the wall, her eyes darting to Hermione as she huffed. "Blaise is not a Death Eater. Ask to see his arms sometime." She glanced at her book, beginning her reading before she had to head to Astronomy. "I don't want to fight, Hermione. So don't make this a fight. Who I talk to isn't about loyalty or the war. It's about who I talk to. And it all boils down to who I want to talk to and who you want me to talk to."  
  
"It does not!" Hermione cried. "You don't have time for a boyfriend. You don't have time to even socialize! You have twelve NEWT level courses, and a full time healing course seven days a week, and extra Potions lessons to make up for what you missed! You don't have time for anything. Every morning you're not in the dorm. So where do you go?" she demanded. "Harry can't find you on the map. Do you sneak off campus?"  
  
Scarlett glanced at her, surprised. Map? "I go to the Room of Requirement to finish my essays, since the library is closed," she said simply. "And then I go straight there to either breakfast or class, depending on how much work I get done in the peace and silence, because whenever I go to the library, you or Ron or Harry are always watching me, to make sure I'm being good."  
  
"You don't have time for any of this! Like you just said, you barely sleep! You can't have a multitude of friends and a boyfriend."  
  
Scarlett sighed. "Hermione... please. I'm not even... I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I want to focus on my studies and making friends. That's all. Now, I have a Year One Healer exam tomorrow and you're interrupting the studies you seem so dedicated to have me spend all of my time on." She turned back to her book and Hermione huffed turning away. Scarlett peeked to see almost all of Gryffindor house - the ones in the Common Room, that is, were watching Hermione argue. "Oh, and Hermione?"  
  
The witch turned, glaring at Scarlett. "What?"  
  
Perhaps she shouldn't have said anything, but it was too late now. "You forgot about the extra Potions and Defense projects to the list of things I don't have time for." Hermione's jaw dropped, either by the tone that was quite sarcastic, or the fact that she didn't have projects. Scarlett wasn't sure. She did, however, turn in a fury and storm up the stairs to the dorm, ignoring snickers.  
  
"For the record, Prince-" Scarlett jerked, glancing up in surprise at a grinning Seamus. "You're bloody hot when you fight back."  
  
Scarlett flushed a deep red, as Seamus winked, and opened her mouth to retort, but thought better of it and resumed reading. Her wand alarm went off at precisely nine in the evening, alerting her to the fact she had Divination, and she was supposed to be en route. She threw her book in her bag, jumping down from the aclove, and threw her bag over her shoulder, knowing that soon her own classmates would be trickling behind her to go to NEWT level Astronomy.  
  
It was one of the most relaxing classes Scarlett had, watching the stars as the Centaur discussed what each movement meant, the constellations, the relations to the coordinates they moved between. It was almost stress free. The Professor, Bane, didn't give them that much homework - usually star charts, constellation maps - nothing that constituted any heavy work. Scarlett usually finish them the same night they were assigned, giving her plenty of time for her other classes.  
  
Monday, Hogsmeade weekend was announced as being that Saturday, and Scarlett felt a rush of disappointment as she realized that she had class, and was unable to go. So she didn't plan anything. She settled into a nice routine of scheduling exactly when she needed to do her work, and exactly what time she should get started, having the outlines for each assignment already in her head.  
  
It made research much easier.  
  
Severus gave her the entire session on Monday to study for her Healer exam, which Scarlett was thankful for. So she reviewed the three thousand principles she was asked to memorize, the beginning paragraph to the Patient/Healer agreement, and everything else Madame Pomfrey had told her would be on the test. As Scarlett understood it, it would be a long exam.  
  
Severus used the time to grade papers, and she was occassionally interrupted by his snorts as he found something one of the students wrote down particularly amusing. The exam caused her to cancel their evening session with Blaise in charms, so that when she went to the Infirmary, she did so with a calm and calculated aura. She had absolutely no reason to rush.  
  
"You will have until seven in the evening to finish this exam," Madame Pomfrey stated simply, placing quite a few bits of bound parchment in front of her. "I will have my wand timed so that when time is up, your parchment will automatically go to my desk and I will start grading it. I expect your grade to be completed by tomorrow morning. Expect my owl."  
  
"I understand, Madame Pomfrey," Scarlett said, lifting her quill and dipping it in the ink.  
  
"And... begin."  
  
It was gruelling - more of a test of endurance. She spent the first three hours on multiple choice alone, leaving only an hour left for the essay portion - which was describing the process of healing a minor burn. It was a question Scarlett would have known, even without the course. The Manor had fireplaces, and she would often be in charge of lighting them or keeping them alit.  
  
By the time the wand buzzed, she dotted her last period and the parchment zipped out from under her quill and flew towards Madame Pomfrey's office, the door locking with a slam. Madame Pomfrey laughed at the startled jump Scarlett gave. "Oh, dear, you should have seen your face!"  
  
Scarlett allowed a small giggle once she recovered. "I wasn't quite expecting it, Madame Pomfrey."  
  
"Now, I'll have an elf come and take you to the kitchens, where you can get some food. I imagine you're quite hungry." Scarlett was. Dinner always began and 4:30 and ended precisely at 7:00, all of the food banishing back to the kitchens. Scarlett had never seen the kitchens before.  
  
A very familiar house elf appeared before her, bowing lowly. "What can Dobby do for Healer Pomfrey? Dobby is so very rarely called by Madame!"  
  
"Please take Miss Prince down to the kitchens," Madame Pomfrey said kindly. "She's missed dinner and is in need of some food. And then once she's done, show her the way to Gryffindor Tower. She'll need some rest after the test she just took."  
  
"Absolutely, Madame!" the squeaky voice shouted in glee. He turned to Scarlett and his eyes widened in shock. "Missy! Oh, Dobby was so sad when he left, because of Missy!"  
  
Dobby. The elf that had ... had gotten her in so much trouble over the years. Scarlett swallowed, forcing a pleasant smile on her face as she held out her hand to the elf. He seized it at once, and they were whisked away, to a very familiar setting to her. So familiar, it made her sigh in pleasure. She loved the smell of a kitchen - as the elves worked on a meal and the sound of the fires and the sound of the water. It was home to her.  
  
"What does Mistress Prince want to eat?" a few elves chimed, hurling themselves at her feet as they all tried to serve her at once. It was all so foreign to Scarlett... so different.  
  
"Oh... whatever you have left over is fine," Scarlett said pleasantly. "I'm not too hungry." She was guided to a table and plate after plate appeared in front of her, of freshly made servings of whatever was for dinner at the feast that night. Scarlett appreciated it, but knew she couldn't possibly eat it all. Afterall, Molly Weasley had stuffed this down her throat when she was living at the Burrow, but that had been about a month ago, now.  
  
They were all upset when she didn't finish it all, but she assured them it was because her stomach simply wasn't big enough, not that it was bad - because it most definitely was not bad. When Dobby approached her again, she had been 'encouraged' to eat her third serving of choclate pudding and could barely move. She took the elf's hand, forcing back the feelings it stirred up seeing him once more. He was sort of like her. They were both escapees of Malfoy Manor.  
  
Tuesday morning she walked calmly to the Great Hall with Ginny and Dean, the couple holding hands, and whispering to each other. Scarlett might as well have been walking alone, she mused to herself. There was a huge array of breakfast servings already, including a tower of what looked like pancakes. Goodness... The elves certainly cooked a lot of breakfast for a normal Tuesday morning.  
  
The post arrived as Scarlett put jam on her bagel, and the bird landed gracefully in front of Scarlett, a medical insignia tied loosely around its neck. Madame Pomfrey's owl.  
  
"Who's is that?" Ginny asked suddenly. Scarlett took the letter carefully from the owl's beak and the owl hooted once and flew off.  
  
"Um, Madame Pomfrey's. They're my exam results." There was an official looking seal in bright red, and the ink was a dark black, making Scarlett swallow. She didn't really want to know what her results were. Ginny prompted her to open it and Scarlett did, hesitating only for a few more seconds.  
  
The parchment inside displayed a chart, showing the areas of expertise that the exam covered. And the range on the side was her score. She nearly sighed in relief at the sight of them. Nearly one hundreds on everything. The ones she did miss were what they didn't go over because Madame Pomfrey informed her that the method of healing was outdated and no longer in practice - it was simply only on the test.  
  
She was so relieved.  
  
"Did you pass?" Ginny asked, worried by her friend's silence.  
  
"Absolutely," Scarlett insisted, smiling brightly. She held tightly onto the parchment, taking a few pieces of fruit and placing them into her mouth.  
  
"Congratulations!" Ginny insisted brightly.  
  
Scarlett spent her lunch hour walking the Hogwarts grounds, not really hungry. She was more ... excited. She was starting her second year course information in the Hospital Wing. She came around near Hagrid's hunt, never having before really explored the grounds.  
  
Someone familiar was just in the trees, talking amongst herself, it seemed, until Scarlett got closer. Luna Lovegood. The eccentric Ravenclaw was someone Scarlett hadn't really seen around except for meals.  
  
"Oh, hello, Scarlett," Luna grinned, her hand dipping into her leather satchel and brought up a piece of raw meat. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"  
  
Scarlett didn't know what she was talking about until she spotted the large black horses, like the ones that led the carriage up to the castle. "What are they?" she asked softly, as a medium sized winged horse approached her, its sharp beak digging into her own bag. "They're so... majestic." Scarlett carefully extended her hand, patting the horse atop the head. Its skin was just as it looked - leathery, but soft.  
  
"They're called threstrals," Luna said brightly. "They're only visible to those that have seen death."  
  
Scarlett swallowed. Seen death. Yes, she supposed she had. The Dark Lord living in the Manor, she had been in charge of dragging the bodies away, for the elves to deal with.  
  
"I was eight," Luna said suddenly, very brightly as she threw a piece of meat towards another creature. "My mother and I were sitting in the day room, and she was brewing a potion. I don't remember much, but I remember the potion expoding." There was a serene look on her face, as though it no longer bothered her. Scarlett didn't know how that was the case. Just thinking about the death she had seen, it made her stomach twist. And for the one dead to be her own mother? At eight years old? "It was a miracle I survived, they say."  
  
"I'm sorry for your loss," Scarlett told the blonde.  
  
"Oh, it's okay, it was so long ago." Luna introduced her to each threstral, as she had given each a name, and even pointed out that one - Asphodel - was going to foal in the spring. Scarlett found it all very interesting. Nowhere in her Care of Magical Creatures class did it mention threstrals.  
  
"They're a bit misunderstood," Luna told Scarlett as they headed towards the castle for their afternoon classes.  
  
"I think they're fascinating," Scarlett admitted. "Do you come out here every lunch?" Scarlett couldn't recall a single lunch where Luna was present.  
  
"Oh, yes, Hagrid lets me feed them their daily meal," Luna smiled. "They've grown very attached to me." Luna began skipping and Scarlett had to double her pace to keep up. "I do hope you find him."  
  
She swallowed. "What are you talking about, Luna?"  
  
"Oh, the boy, of course," Luna said brightly. "I hope you find him."  
  
"Do you know here he is?"  
  
"Oh, no, the plumpies can't tell me that much. I just know that you're searching for him." Scarlett had no idea how she could possibly have known. "Daddy, you know, is an expert finder. He helped me find a Shoe-and-toe Toad over the summer. They're so difficult to find in these parts."  
  
Scarlett doubted that wild animal scouting would help her find Tyler.  
  
"Thank you," Scarlett said after a moment. "But I don't think he'd be able to help."  
  
"Oh, just consider it, if you want."  
  
She promised she would, and then focused on her classes as they parted ways. Luna, while eccentric, was... she was kind and good. It gave Scarlett hope. Hope that there was absolute good in the world, just like Luna.  
  
She left dinner before dessert, hoping to get started on a research assignment Madame Pomfrey had given her, due Sunday evening. And Scarlett had a feeling it would take a bit of time. It required advanced Healing techniques, ones Scarlett didn't know, and would only know with experience - her other books offered no help. So, she went to the library, where she went with any other research problem, and scoured the shelves in hopes to find something resembling ... well, anything helpful.  
  
"Spell Damage," she murmured, finding the bookshelf in the Healing Arts section. She scavenged the titles, looking for anything like a Volatile Spell, but the effects immediate. The spell causing extreme damage almost instantly on the hit area.  
  
She found nothing other than the unforgivables, which couldn't be cured - simply a tonic for Cruciatus to lessen the tremors.  
  
"You looking for something?" a voice spoke up. She nearly jumped a foot in the air, twirling to see Cormac standing at a table a few feet from her, his bag resting atop it. "You seem a bit flustered."  
  
"Er... yeah, just some Healing book," she admitted, shrugging. She turned back to the shelf, pulling yet another book out, opening to the Table of Contents and skimming the pages.  
  
"Oh, well... what about? Maybe I can help-" He left his bag, moving towards her as she put the book back in place and moved to the next one. "What do you need a book on?"  
  
"Well, something like a Volatile Spell, but the effects would be immediate. My project focuses on what it would take to heal these spells, and ... and stuff. And the properties of the spell... So I'm looking for a book that shows dangerous spells, and the damage it causes... which understandably isn't in the library."  
  
"You could try the restricted section," he shrugged. "But I doubt they'd have it either. McGonagall got Dumbledore to remove a lot of dangerous books when the war started... I could write to my mum, for you. She probably has something you could use... When is the project due?"  
  
"Oh, no, I can do something else," Scarlett insisted. "You don't have to go out of -"  
  
"Mum loves to help. I can probably get it to you Thursday morning, if I write to her tomorrow." The smile he gave her was as if it didn't bother him, as though doing this for her was nothing. She swallowed. "So, when do you need it by? Because if you need it earlier-"  
  
"No, the project is due Sunday, so... so Thursday is fine, thank you... I, er, was about to give up on the assignment and just try something else," she admitted, blushing as she set the book back she had decided to go through. "You're sure it's no problem?"  
  
"Nah, just tell me exactly what you're looking for, and I'll write the letter now," Cormac insisted. He gestured towards the table his bag was at and she followed him towards it. "Mums got this huge library full of stuff, at home. She converted one of our guest rooms into it a few years ago - she was a Ravenclaw."  
  
"Did she apprentice under Madame Pomfrey?" Scarlett asked, sitting across from him.  
  
"Oh, yeah, with, another girl... Potter's mum I think. But my mum was a few years older than her, so they weren't that close." Cormac shrugged. He pulled out a piece of parchment, and a quill, dipping it into a portable ink well and glancing at her. "So... what's this spell again?"  
  
She explained it carefully, and he wrote quickly, much faster than she wrote, and his handwriting was smooth, loopy, as though he had learned to write well when he was very young, and it just improved from then on. He had nearly half a page of parchment written and he signed it with his name before passing it to her. "That okay?"  
  
He was going to let her read his personal message? She hesitated, unsure, before she glanced down, finding where he discussed the spell and only reading that bit. But her name was underneath that bit, and so when she kept reading, she was surprised to see:  
  
 _Scarlett's super bright - probably rivals Granger. She's a sixth year, but she just joined the Healer program, so she's got a few years to catch up on - and she's already about three months ahead of schedule according to Ginny Weasley. So, if you could help her out, that'd be awesome, Mum! Love you, Cormac._  
  
Scarlett flushed, handing it back. "It's pretty much word for word what I said... Thank you.... and thanks for, um... what you said about me. That was very kind."  
  
He shrugged. "You can't lie to mum. She smells it from eight hundred miles away." Scarlett giggled. "So, uh, you live with the Weasleys, huh?"  
  
"Oh, yes," Scarlett nodded, surprised by the topic change. "Just recently, though."  
  
"Are you like their long lost daughter or something?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"No," she laughed quietly. "Just friends with the family. Though everyone kept mistaking me and Ginny - appartently we look quite similar in a certain light."  
  
"That's why I asked," Cormac admitted. "You look like you could be one... but your eyes are all wrong-" He looked as though he swallowed a bug. "I mean, your eyes aren't wrong, they just... they're not blue or green like the Weasley family's- Your eyes are lovely-"  
  
"I knew what you meant," Scarlett giggled. "Everyone thinks we're related, but we're not. I promise."  
  
"Good... I mean, not good, but that's good... er, cool-" he sighed loudly, burying his face in his hands. "I'm going to shut up now."  
  
Scarlett found his rambling amusing, giggling again and pulling his arm from his face. "It's fine. I know what you mean. Please, don't be embarrassed. We all tend to ramble sometimes. I, er, sort of have a problem with it. I ramble a lot when I'm nervous or really intringued by something."  
  
"I, er, ramble when I get nervous. It doesn't really happen much," he admitted.  
  
"Well, still, don't be embarrassed about it," Scarlett said brightly. She stood though. "I have to go talk to Professor Snape about a potions project he gave me... I've just forgotten. Thank you, though, for all of your help. I appreciate it so much. And I'll see you soon."  
  
"Are you free Thursday night? I can help you on, um, grammar and stuff." Thursday night she really wanted to work on her Healing project, but she smiled, nodding. "Great, I'll, uh, see you then, then."  
  
"Bye, Cormac," she said quietly. She grabbed her bag from the bookshelf and then left the library, still feeling the smile on her face as she headed towards the Defense classroom, where she hoped her father was. If not, the question could wait until their morning session... but she was hoping to finish the Potions project that evening in the Common Room. 


	26. Arithmancy and Relationship Statuses

"Have you seen Scarlett?" a voice asked suddenly. Scarlett could only hear it over the roar of children because it was particularly close to the doors. The person was standing by them. It was Cormac. "I have this book she's been searching for-" He got it? Scarlett was surprised he actually got it in the time he promised. 

"Wouldn't tell you if we had," Ron said shortly and Scarlett felt her brows furrow in confusion. They knew she was in the Room of Requirement - she had practically told the entire Common Room that piece of information Sunday evening. 

The hall seemed to get quieter the more focused Scarlett was on the conversation. "Well, if you do see her, let her know I've got it." 

"Why don't you just leave it with us?" Harry asked sharply. Scarlett could tell, by the way the Great Hall truly was getting quiet that people were beginning to listen. Scarlett heard the beat as there was silence and then Cormac began speaking again.

"Because I needed to talk to her." 

Ron snorted. "She doesn't like you, McLaggen. She's just nice to you because she's nice to everyone. Bloody hell, I've even seen her having a pleasant conversation with Marcus Flint." She had only asked him to move out of her way, as he was blocking the hall on her way to Charms after lunch. It wasn't that pleasant, because he had snipped back at her. "So, stop wasting your time, McLaggen. She's not interested in you. And don't you dare bother with her. She's none of your business."

"And you're saying this because you're friends with her? You know what she's thinking? She hangs with me and Weaslette and Zabini more than she hangs out with you. Why?" She heard Cormac snort, but Scarlett, as she thought about it, found it was true. She had rarely been in the company of the Golden Trio since school started. "Because all you bloody do is get on her case. So, I'd say I'm a better friend to her than you are." He was leaving. She scrambled back so that she was hidden by the door, and watched as he stormed up the stairs, possibly to the dorm. Maybe to look for her. She sighed, knowing she should probably have called out to him, to stop him, but she would find him after she got breakfast. Breakfast ended soon, anyhow, and she was quite hungry.

She couldn't hear Ron and Harry, but she knew things had resumed to normal once everyone began to gossip again. Scarlett took a deep breath and walked into the Great Hall, surprised when she nearly ran smack dab into Harry and Ron, muttering to themselves about some plan.

"Scarlett!" Harry said in surprise, catching her. 

"Harry," Scarlett said, catching her balance with his help, fixed her bag, which had nearly spilled out.

"Where have you been?" Ron asked. "You couldn't have been studying for that long."

"I decided to catch up on a few assignments that aren't due until next week," Scarlett lied. She walked towards the Gryffindor table and they followed her, seeming to think she was in a good mood, and that they could possibly reconcile. Scarlett had missed them, greatly, but... but it was so exhausting to fight them. And she truly didn't want to. "So, yes," Scarlett said, sitting down beside Ginny, Harry sitting at her other side. "I was studying." 

"Aren't you overwhelmed?" Harry asked, and Scarlett suspected he had already eaten by the lack of interest for the food on the table. Scarlett, however, was hungry.

"No," she said simply. "I have plenty of time to do what I need to do, as well as a few extra things." She gave him a bright smile, but a sinking feeling was in the pit of her stomach. They really weren't going to tell her that Cormac was searching for her? "I even got a few of the projects out of the way-"

Hermione chose that moment to join in, sitting beside Ron, a book in the place of where her plate would have been. "That's ridiculous that they've given you extra projects," she said pointedly. "They know how many courses you have. How could they possibly think you could-"

"I've been managing them fine for the past few weeks," Scarlett shrugged.

"We hardly ever see you," Harry said quietly. "You're either in the library, or in that window in the Common Room, or off in the Room of Requirement..." She hated the tone in his voice. The sadness. Perhaps she had been cruel... She did miss her brother. "I went to the library to try to find you last night... but I didn't want to interrupt your flirting with Zabini."  
  
Scarlett smirked, pouring herself a glass of gillywater. "I thought that was exactly what you wanted to do. Isn't that why you keep sitting in the table a few places down and glare at us?" She sipped from the water as Harry started to stammer something. "Yeah, I know you're there Harry, we both do. We aren't blind. It's been the same for weeks now."  
  
"Every Monday and Wednesday nights," Harry said stiffly. "Do you and Zabini have little dates or something?"  
  
"No," Scarlett said pleasantly, glancing towards the Slytherin in question, talking to Draco, once more. "We just like talking. Is that a problem?"  
  
"Yeah, it is," Ron said sharply. "He's friends with the enemy here, okay. You may claim he's not a Death Eater, but he's still friends with Malfoy, who's guaranteed to be a Death Eater."   
  
She was silent a moment, taking in their anger. She didn't want to fight again. "I trust him with my life. Is it so much for me to ask you to trust me?"  
  
Harry's face fell, and he sighed. "That's not... I trust you, Scarlett. I really do, but... I don't trust him."  
  
"I do," Scarlett said firmly. "And Cormac, and Luna, and Seamus and Neville and Dean. I trust them all, so... please, trust me for once."

"Why are you getting projects?" Hermione asked suddenly. "No one has ever given me projects outside of class before, and I'm top of my class-"

"Actually, Granger, they released first month ranks," Seamus grinned, winking at Scarlett as he sat down besides Hermione. "Prince here's on top. Which I like, by the way-" 

Scarlett giggled, but Ron turned purple. "Oi! I'll have you know she's my friend!"

"Oh, dear," Ginny sighed besides Scarlett. "Ron, honestly! Seamus has flirted with everyone. He's harmless."

Seamus held up his hands, a serious expression on his face. "It's all in good fun, I swear. You know that, right, Prince?"

"Of course," Scarlett said immediately. "I'm not offended or anything. Ron, calm down, please. You're making a scene."

"But, how did you get on top!" Hermione demanded. "You've-you've just started here! I've been number one in all of my classes since First year! They don't have grades to determine-"

"I got all Os on my OWLs," Scarlett shrugged. "And the teachers are counting every assignment I do this year six times, so that it makes the grades for my years missed." She swallowed. "If it means so much to you, I can-"

"Don't you bloody dare," Ginny snapped, cutting Scarlett off. "You deserve top spot. You've learned so much just in the last few months, that you don't need to stop earning it because Hermione's jealous!"   
  
"It's not a lot of projects," Scarlett said quietly, to Hermione. "It's just three a week. Slughorn gives me a project, and Professor Snape gives me a Potions and a Defense one, all of them due every Friday evening. They're usually simple, really, like reverse brewing certain potions, or the Latin involved in a spell-"  
  
"Bloody hell, you can reverse brew a potion?" Seamus asked. "Please tell me this won't be on the NEWT test because if so, then I'm out-"  
  
"It's not on the NEWTs," Scarlett giggled. "It's actually not that difficult. It's just looking at a completed potion and then doing the instructions in reverse order - of course, you'd have to be able to identify the potion first, and then have the instructions memorized so that you can reverse it, but... it takes usually the length of brewing a potion, once it's identified. I can show you sometime-"  
  
"You're learning Latin?" Harry asked flatly.  
  
Scarlett swallowed at the look he was giving her. "Er, yes..."   
  
"I introduced her to the Grey Lady," Ginny shrugged. "She was more than happy to teach it to her. Back in the founding days of Hogwarts, Latin was the language all courses were taught in - being the eleventh century and all. The Grey Lady is fluent."  
  
"Er, I go to her every Sunday evenings, now," Scarlett admitted. "Right after lunch and before my Healing classes. Usually only a half hour or so. She likes the company, I think. I'd imagine being a ghost for a thousand years must be very lonely."  
  
She finished her toast and stood, biting her lip. "I need to go to Arithmancy. Blaise wanted to meet me early so that we could go over a few things about our project." She glanced towards Blaise who was leaving, Draco walking with him. She glanced at the Golden Trio. "I don't want to fight," she said quietly when Harry opened his mouth. "I really don't. But I want you to trust me to make my own choices."  
  
"Oh, Scarlett!" Ginny called when she began to walk towards the doors. Scarlett turned, frowning. "Cormac was looking for you, I think. I don't know what for, I didn't catch it, but he was talking to this lot about trying to find you. I'm sorry I'm not too helpful-"  
  
At least Ginny wanted to tell her about it. Scarlett smiled, heartfelt and happy. "Thanks, Ginny. That was very kind of you. He has a book I need for my Healing project." She saw the immediately guilty looks of the Trio as she turned again. They must truly hate Cormac.   
  
A hand grabbed Scarlett's arm suddenly and she blinked in surprise at being grabbed. Her instincts flared, but who it was made her shift slightly, to hide the shock. "Er, Cormac, hi," Scarlett said brightly. "Ginny just told me-"  
  
"I almost didn't catch you," he admitted. "So, Mum sent me a package this morning. It's got what you were looking for." He held the package out to her, still wrapped. She glanced at it confused. It was so heavy, and there seemed to be more than one boo. "She sent what she thought was best for what you described. If it's not what you need, I can send her another letter after dinner and it'll be here by tomorrow morning-"  
  
"I'm sure it's perfect," Scarlett insisted. "Thank you so much."  
  
"She didn't say what she sent. But... yeah, use them for as long as you need them."   
  
"Oh, I'll give them back in just a few days," she said, smiling brightly. She opened the package flap, peering down inside. "Merlin, this book looks so old," she whispered. She pulled out a small book, the pages yellowed and the cover fading. Opening it, juggling all of the things in her arms, she was surprised to see that it was handwritten.  
  
"Merlin, Cormac, this is like a original report!" She tried to find a date and gasped, glancing at him in absolute delight. "Thirteen hundred and twelve?"  
  
He chuckled, shrugging. "I did say, Mum sent everything she thought you might need. I've got to get to class, before I'm late. You should probably go too." He was right. She didn't want to be late. "I'll see you tonight?"  
  
"Of course," she smiled towards him, moving towards the Grand Staircase, her strides matching his. "Thank you, again. I don't know how to repay you."  
  
He shrugged. "Seeing that smile is enough." She flushed but he didn't see, as he glanced at his watch and cursed. "Right, running now. Bye!"  
  
"Bye," she returned. He ran off and Scarlett went towards the Arithmancy classroom, her fingers clutching the books in her arms tightly. She didn't want to ruin them.   
  
Blaise was sitting in their usual seat, a roll of parchment spread on the desk as he leaned back in his chair, talking casually to Draco a row in front of him. When Scarlett entered, his chair dropped to the ground with a clap and he glanced back towards her, grinning. "Scarlett! Glad you decided to join us."  
  
"Sorry, I ran into someone-" She sat down in her seat, leaning forward as she inspected the Arithmancy formula. Her gaze traveled across the vast amounts of numbers, and arrows. "Hello, Draco," she greeted politely.   
  
"How's the cat?" he asked, his posture leaning on the back of his chair as he sat backwards, each leg almost straddling the back end of it.   
  
"Oh, he's marvelous," she promised, glancing up with a smile. "Apparently, he's inheritied a bit of his upbringing, because he's quite moody and attention starved, it seems. He bites my toes while I sleep."  
  
Blaise laughed loudly. "Now you know why I hated the thing when it was trapped in my bedroom."   
  
"It hurts," Scarlett insisted to Draco, who raised his eyebrow. "But he does like to cuddle under the blankets, too, so I suppose he's a keeper."  
  
"Good, that thing was a bloody nuisance to find," Draco said shortly.  
  
She giggled, glancing down at the chart. "Did you test the results, Blaise?" Scarlett asked suddenly, glancing at Blaise.  
  
He nodded. "Just like you told me to. And I got four different factors." Interesting. She surveyed the formula, trying to find any holes that they would need to patch, but it was flawless. "Is it ready to turn in?"  
  
"I think so," Scarlett admitted. "And she might even grade it first for being early."  
  
"I wish I had you for a partner instead of bloody Romilda Vane," Draco muttered. "All she does is talk about Potter. Did you know his eyes are so strikingly green they could be a forest-"  
  
Scarlett giggled. "I didn't, but I'm glad I do now."  
  
"She's a bloody nuisance," Draco muttered. "Can we please trade?"  
  
"I don't want to work with her," Scarlett groaned. "She's friends with Lavender, and Lavender hates me."  
  
"No," Blaise said firmly. "I am not working with that bint!"  
  
Scarlett smacked his shoulder, glancing in the doorway. "She's right there. She can probably hear you when you shout like that."  
  
"Don't you dare, Draco," Blaise said warningly. "I mean it!"  
  
Draco smirked and strode up to Professor Vector, who was reading a few essays from Tuesdays class. "Professor?" Scarlett distinctly heard him ask. Blaise sighed, burying his head in his arms as he succumbed to defeat.  
  
"Yes, Mister Malfoy?" Professor Vector said stiffly, not glancing up from her work.  
  
"I'd like to report a complaint with my partner. She has not helped once on any projects assigned and has not discussed anything but Potter. I find I'm unable to work with her, as I'm not taught anything by her partnership that helps me academically." Professor Vector glanced up, surprised.   
  
"So, who do you suggest be your partner?"  
  
"Is she actually buying this?" Blaise asked, glancing up.  
  
Scarlett giggled, nodding in Draco's direction. "Well, we're about to see."   
  
"Scarlett Prince." Immediately Professor Vector's face hardened. "She's adequate in the field of Arithmancy and Blaise certainly has no complaints with her contribution to work. I think I'd learn more academic things listening to her drone on about something actually related to Arithmancy than Vane, who drones on about a new way to get into Potter's sheets."   
  
Scarlett coughed, hiding her laugh as she looked down, trying to avoid the Professor's gaze. "He did not just say that to a teacher!"  
  
"She's actually considering it," Blaise observed. Scarlett glanced up in surprise, as the woman didn't seem to automatically refuse.  
  
"Considering your history with the girl," Professor Vector said carefully, "I'm not sure if it would be wise-"  
  
"Whatever version of our history you might have heard," Draco said stiffly, "was most likely not entirely accurate."   
  
"Miss Prince, if you could please come up here?" Scarlett groaned, burying her face in her hands once more, before rising from her seat and approaching the severe professor that at times gave her father a run for his money. "Mister Malfoy has made an interesting request. And I was wondering your take on the situation."  
  
"Oh, I think he's fully capable of any assignments in this class," Scarlett said brightly. "Draco's third in the class, after all. I would have no problems working with him."  
  
"Is Mister Zabini an issue with your work?"  
  
"No, ma'am," Scarlett admitted. "We actually work well together, as well. Draco approached me with the idea, and I'd be more than happy to switch. Perhaps Blaise will be able to stop Romilda from discussing Harry at any possible point in their work together - since Draco's so incapable of doing so." Draco sputtered, his eyes wide in disbelief at her betrayal. She could only imagine how Blaise was looking.  
  
Professor Vector allowed a small smile to touch her lips. "Very well... I'll allow the switch, since it seems to be mutual. But if there are any problems, any at all, Miss Prince, I request to be informed immediately and the switch will be reversed, no matter how many times Miss Vane drones on about Potter's perfect face, Mister Malfoy. Is that understood?"  
  
"Er, yes, Professor," Draco said slowly. Scarlett turned with a smile of triumph and noticed Blaise's mutinous glare.   
  
"Oh, you honestly expected to hog me all to yourself?" Scarlett questioned. "You're my partner in Runes. You'll survive."  
  
"I hate all of you," Blaise declared, grabbing his things and dropping them down in the seat in front of him. Draco smirked, grabbing his things and plopping into the chair besides Scarlett.   
  
"No, you don't," Scarlett countered. A waft of Draco's cologne washed over her, a calming scent, that reminded her of the halls of the manor. But not in a bad way. In a comforting way. A familiar way, much like the kitchens. "Should I turn in the project now, Blaise, or after class?"  
  
"Not talking to you," Blaise said in a rather high voice, his eyes traveling towards the ceiling.  
  
"Blaise, you're being childish," she scolded with a smile.  
  
"Was that the wind, Draco?" Blaise questioned.  
  
"Oh, honestly, you'll talk to him? He suggested this whole thing," Scarlett reminded the dark skinned man. She pulled out a quill from her bag. "I could just erase your name-"  
  
"Turn it in now," Blaise said immediately.  
  
She grinned, standing once more and walking to Professor Vector's desk. "Professor Vector? I'm sorry for interrupting?"  
  
"Want to reverse it already?" she asked in surprise.  
  
"Er, no. Actually, Blaise and I's project. We finished it a few days ahead of schedule, and I was wondering if we could turn it in early?"  
  
"Oh, of course!" Professor Vector said warmly. "Of course, of course. Set it down in the basket. Thank you so much for being prompt, Miss Prince. Us professors do appreciate it."  
  
"Um... thank you?" Scarlett said carefully. She returned to her seat, spotting Hermione walk through with Harry at that moment. Their eyes met hers, but she glanced away, sitting back down beside Draco.   
  
"So..." Draco said, leaning back in his chair, much like Blaise had been, his feet resting atop the table. "On a scale of one to ten, how attractive am I?"  
  
"Is this a serious question?" Scarlett asked, wondering if it was Romilda that annoyed him, or truly him that annoyed her. "Because I don't think I'm going to give you an answer you're expecting, Draco," she admitted.  
  
"You wound me," he said airly. "Because it was a very serious question."  
  
"Well, if one is bad and ten is good," she said as though beginning a lecture. "Then you must be placed precisely at 3.7." Blaise started laughing as the chair dropped and Draco stared at her. "You see, you're not a ten. No one is," she continued, smirking. "And you're not a nine. That's very rare, you know. Eight is perhaps a huge stretch for even you to fit in. And sevens are more ... well, Blaise's standpoint, for instance. A six is ... You have met Zacharias Smith, haven't you? A five is someone who is rather normal with a stunning personality. A four is someone with a average personality. And a three is someone absolutely dismal at speaking - such as Crabbe or Goyle. I ranked you a 3.7 because... You're not a horrible as them, but you're quite horrible."   
  
"Are you joking?" he demanded.  
  
Scarlett laughed, biting her lip. "Perhaps."  
  
"I think you're a nine," he said with a smirk. "Like you said, there's always room for improvement."  
  
She laughed again, smacking his arm. "You jerk!"  
  
"The only Gryffindor I'll talk to willingly," he shrugged. "That's got to be something. And since Blaise seems to think you're a ten, well... I sure wish you were sorted into Slytherin."  
  
"You're in my seat." Scarlett glanced up to see Romilda staring at Scarlett with an expression of hatred. "Get out of it."  
  
"Um, no I'm not, actually," Scarlett admitted. "We've switched. Blaise is your new partner."  
  
She sucked on her teeth, glancing at Blaise. "I didn't agree to this."  
  
"Then take it up with Vector, Vane," Draco spoke up. "Annoy someone else."  
  
Romilda huffed and sat down besides Blaise, who groaned and buried his head into his arms, almost as if he was falling asleep. She glanced at Draco, giggling slightly. "You could be a little nicer."  
  
"Like I said, you-" he stopped, glaring at something over her shoulder. "Need help, Potty?"   
  
Scarlett closed her eyes, sighing. Of course. She swiveled in her chair once more, seeing Harry glare at Draco with absolute loating. "Uh, hi, Harry."  
  
"Can I talk to you?"  
  
Again? Was he honestly going to try this again? "Is this about the trust thing?" Scarlett questioned. "Because I totally get it. I mean, I wouldn't trust me either. Afterall, I'm a naive eighteen year old girl that doesn't understand what she's doing." Harry opened his mouth, but seemed to think better of it.  
  
"Um, nevermind," he said, shuffling back to his seat, which was behind her. She didn't understand why he couldn't lean forward to talk to her, until she realized he probably hadn't sat down at all.   
  
"Merlin, you were born for Slytherin. Are you sure the Sorting Hat said Gryffindor?" Draco asked, propping up the chair again.  
  
"I'm assuming so," Scarlett shrugged. "McGonagall sorted me without the hat."  
  
He grunted, crossing his arms. "So... you're doing my projects for me, right?'  
  
"What?" Scarlett hissed. "No! Draco, I thought we were working on them together?"  
  
"You honestly think I want to work on an Arithmancy project?" Scarlett glared at him and he noticed. "Fine. Twenty percent. You do the rest."  
  
She could take that. But she couldn't do the entire project all of the time. "But... it was so cold down there," she said quietly, frowning. "And I didn't have any blankets. I was barely fed-"  
  
He pointed his finger at her. "Don't you dare try to guilt me. Don't you dare!" She pouted, sniffling for good measure. He growled, crossing his legs in front of him as they rested atop the table top. "Fine, fine. I'll do sixty."  
  
Scarlett immediately grinned. "Thank you, Draco."  
  
"Whatever," he muttered. Blaise glanced back, smirking. "Shut up, Blaise," Draco snarled at him. Scarlett giggled, biting her lip to keep the noise from escaping, and happily pulled out her Arithmancy book, putting the books Cormac had loaned to her in the satchel almost immediately after there was space.   
  
In Potions, that afternoon, Slughorn released them all early after Seamus managed to blow up his cauldron. And after she was sure he was alright, she followed the rest of her house to Gryffindor Tower, intent on using the freetime to get started on her homework.  
  
"Er, Neville?" she asked tenatively, approaching the boy. She could hear Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussing their Hogsmeade plans behind her, and it made her feel sort of sad, as she wasn't able to go.  
  
"Y-Yes?" he asked, flushing immediately when he glanced at her. She looked at what he was working on - a beautiful Mimbulus Mimbletonia, much like the one he had talked to her about a few weeks ago.   
  
"I know you're brilliant at Herbology, so I figured there's no better person to ask besides Professor Sprout herself," Scarlett began, the blush going deeper. Why was he blushing? Was he embarrassed she was talking to him? "I... While I was being homeschooled, I never learned about Mandrakes. I'm afraid I only know the healing properties of them, and not the ... well, plant properties." She had asked Severus about them over the summer, but he promptly ripped those pages out of her textbook, informing her that it was rubbish. "Could you maybe help me? If not, that's okay. And I only have about forty minutes until I need to go to the Hospital Wing, so-"  
  
"No!" Neville said immediately. "I can help. Sure. It's about the lesson we had in Herbology today, right?"  
  
"Yes, but I'm afraid I don't know anything about them, really," Scarlett admitted.  
  
"Well, what you'll find in your textbook is wrong. The guy that wrote the book was allergic to Mandrakes and didn't even bother researching them before he wrote about it." Oh, that's why Severus had ripped it out, then. "But, the most important thing you need to know is that their cry is pretty fatal. Baby mandrakes, it'll just make you faint - so you have to wear spider silk earmuffs to muffle their cries. And they're best used in petrification cases - like in second year when the Basilisk was set loose." Scarlett nodded. Madame Pomfrey had explained that much to her.  
  
"It's a bit, er... difficult to explain really. They're sort of like babies - look like them anyway. You have to feed them and put them in the right conditions, or they can rot." He explained to her these conditions, what they grew well with, what they should never grow with, and other properties, such as how to tell if they're healthy, or sick, and how to tell if they're old.   
  
"They even grow to be the size of willow trees. You know the Whomping Willow on the grounds?" Scarlett nodded. She had seen it briefly on her exploration Tuesday during lunch. "That's a mandrake, that's at least a few hundred years old. It was purchased in the Siberian wasteland, in Russia, and transported here about thirty years ago, maybe a little less? It's the oldest mandrake known to have ever existed in the world."  
  
"That's fascinating," Scarlett insisted. "Do they know how it lives so well? I mean, if the average mandrake lives to about thirty or forty-"  
  
"It's remarkable, right?" he agreed. She agreed. "Hey, what are you doing-"  
  
"-to blow it up!" Hermione's shrill voice cut off whatever Neville was going to ask her. Scarlett jumped, glancing behind her to see her glaring at Harry, at the book in his hands. "It's not safe, Harry. The writing it that is clearly-"  
  
"'Mione, if it wasn't safe, then it wouldn't have been stored-"  
  
Scarlett sighed. "Wonderful. That's the third time so far they've argued over his bloody Potions book." She grabbed her bag. "I should go to class. Thank you so much, Neville, for your help. I owe you."  
  
"Oh, no, I'm happy to help," he insisted. "You don't owe me anything."  
  
She departed, her exit barely noticed as everyone was too worried Hermione might actually hex Harry this time. In Healing class, Madame Pomfrey had her sit down in front of a screen, and a film began to roll. It was silent, as there seemed to be no sound output on the projector anyway.   
  
"Now, I know this is a bit change in how I normally teach," Madame Pomfrey began. "But, we're getting into a bit more complex situations, and well... we'll use more videos and pictures than actual lectures. So, this is the part where being squimish isn't going to work."   
  
"I understand, ma'am," Scarlett said simply. "What is today's lesson?"  
  
"Good. And we'll be discussing childbirth. While we don't have it in Hogwarts halls - against the rules you see, for teen parents here - it is something you will no doubt encounter outside of these halls. St. Mungo's maternity ward is state of the art and the most common place mothers go, if they do not favor the traditional at-home method."  
  
Childbirth. Of course. But the entire video, even as Madame Pomfrey explained intricate details of the process, was background noise as Scarlett heard the words echoing in her head - against the rules. If they knew... would she be kicked out? What about Blaise? It was a whole new incentive to keep everything a secret. She couldn't ruin his education with it getting out - he didn't deserve it.   
  
She left the Hospital wing in a flurry, heading to the library, intent on finding Hogwarts school rules - she needed to know the conditions to the rule. And then she needed to talk to Severus. She didn't even mind that she was skipping dinner.  
  
She grabbed the book and set it down on the table, flipping through the index until she found the law and began to read.  
  
"Hey," Cormac's accent lilted, bringing her out of her deep research. She glanced up sharply, shutting the book in case he saw what she was looking for. "Uh, you okay?"  
  
"Fine," she promised. "Just a little... a little frazzled, is all. Can I help you?"  
  
"Uh, we agreed to work on grammar... remember?" He looked slightly disappointed that she didn't.  
  
"Oh! Right, sorry. I had a lot on my mind this afternoon. Of course." She set the book aside, vowing to get back to it later, and smiled. "Thank you for the books, by the way. They're exactly what I needed."  
  
"Oh, good. I, uh, didn't see you at dinner earlier?" She glanced towards the windows. Oh, it was later in the evening. How long had she been reading?   
  
"Oh, I ate a massive lunch," Scarlett told him. "So, I'm not hungry."  
  
"Oh," Cormac said almost to himself. "Uh, so... let's get started, huh?" She agreed, and he asked if she had any writing, which she did. She passed it over to him, biting her lip as he began to read.   
  
He didn't teach it to her for long. She figured he had his own work to do, and that he didn't want to be in there all night, anyway.  
  
"What are you doing Saturday?" he asked casually.  
  
"I have classes," Scarlett sighed. thinking of Hogsmeade weekend. "Divination, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Healing, and then Astronomy that night."  
  
"All Saturday classes are canceled Hogsmeade weekend," Cormac said simply, shrugging. "I mean, there's only four a year, it's not like you're missing a lot of class. If you don't believe me, you can ask your teachers or Gonagall, but... yeah..."   
  
"Oh," Scarlett said softly. "That's a relief. All I've heard about this summer has been Hogsmeade."  
  
"Did you want to go?" Cormac said suddenly, brightly. "With me? We can get lunch and go to all the shops... if you want? I didn't know if you had plans with your friends."  
  
"I didn't," Scarlett admitted. "But... I'd love to go... with you. That sounds like a lot of fun."  
  
"Yeah?" he asked, as if unsure, but very bright.   
  
Scarlett giggled, nodding. "Yeah. Should I meet you somewhere?"  
  
"How about the Great Hall at eight. Eat breakfast and whatnot, and then we can walk down together."  
  
"That sounds lovely," Scarlett admitted, smiling softly as she glanced down at the almost completely corrected essay.   
  
He gave her a charming smile and passed the essay back to her. "So, uh, rumor has it you're partners with Malfoy in Arithmancy?"  
  
She sighed. "Yes. And before you go shouting at me too about it - because I've heard plenty from Hermione and Harry and Ron - it was a mutual switch and we're friends. I've known Draco my entire life." She shrugged as he raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Don't look at me like that, please... I know all of Gryffindor house hates him, but ... he's really not that bad."  
  
Cormac didn't look like he believed her. "I guess if you're friends with Zabini, you're bound to be friends with Malfoy too... What has Gryffindor fallen to?" The last bit was exasperated, but dramatic and Scarlett giggled. "I've got astronomy tonight," he told her. "And a star chart I still need to finish, so I should probably go... but I'll see you Saturday."  
  
"I'll see you Saturday," Scarlett promised.  
  
"It's a date," he winked. She smiled back, and watched him leave. As soon as the doors shut, she grabbed the Hogswarts rules book and flipped it to where she was last, skimming the page.   
  
_Cases are evaluated case by case. Those deemed in a direct violation of school rules, including, but not limited to societal laws, are dismissed from their studies indefinitely. The Headmaster, or Headmistress, of Hogwarts is required to submit a formal document that vouches the student is capable of caring for their child while also being a student. No child, at any times, is permitted to be on Hogwarts grounds unless visiting. If parent is unable to leave their child at home, for any period of time, they will be dismissed immediately._   
  
She felt her insides twist. She couldn't make any arguments against it. She didn't even know where Tyler was... She needed to talk to Severus. Severus would tell her his thoughts, his approach. Give her a way to go about it.   
  
She didn't want to quit her studies. If she did, she'd have no future means of support, if they ever found Tyler - no job. And no job would mean that she couldn't keep Tyler. . .   
  
She checked out the book quickly, gathering her things, and then walked to the Common Room, intent on reading the rule book cover to cover so that she would know any potential loopholes, any ways to remain in class. The price was simply too much not to.   
  
And another word danced around her head. Date. Just what exactly did Cormac expect from her on Saturday? She didn't know at all what to do on a ... date. Perhaps she should ask Ginny... Ginny was the least likely to scream at her for accepting. And the less screaming the better.


	27. Hogsmeade and Secrets

"I don't know what to wear," she admitted to Ginny seven that morning. The red-head was half asleep, buttoning a shirt the wrong way, but Scarlett would tell her when she was able to form a cognitive thought.  
  
"Well, you're sure he said date, right?" Ginny asked. Scarlett nodded, biting her lip. "Which is a first for Cormac, I'll tell you that. He usually spends Hogsmeade with his friends, and leaves whatever poor girl he's dating with her friends. So... this is a good sign." She took Scarlett's hand, noticing the look on her face. "Hey, no need to be nervous. Just be your normal friendly, surprisingly sassy, self and you'll be fine. He seems to like it."  
  
Scarlett bit her lip, following Ginny up a floor to the Sixth Year Girl's dorm. "What if they're right?" she said quietly. "What if this is a  mistake?"  
  
"You won't know until it happens," Ginny shrugged. "I remember my first Hogsmeade date. It was bloody awful, Scarlett. I went with Michael Corner, and all I remember is that he kept calling me by the wrong name - Jenny."  
  
Scarlett giggled. "Well, he knows my name, so... I think I'm okay in that regards."  
  
Ginny opened Scarlett's trunk, riffling through the clothing. "Do you have that light blue sweater I let you borrow?" Scarlett nodded, grabbing it off of the foot of her bed. It had been one of her options before she gave up and searched for Ginny. "Wear this with...." She dug in the pants until she found a pair of shorts that Scarlett thought were quite short. "This. It's supposed to be hot today, and you want to look hot. Take a shower, shave, do whatever, and then come back here. I'll do your make-up."  
  
"Make up?" Scarlett asked, frowning. "I've never worn make-up before."  
  
"It won't be anything drastic. Just some mascara to make your eyes bigger, and a light flavoured lipgloss."  
  
"Oh... okay." Scarlett was about to leave when Ginny grinned, stopping her. "Oh, and don't forget to wear these underneath."  
  
She placed two lacey garmets atop the pile of clothes in Scarlett's arms. "What are these?"  
  
"Oh, they're lingerie. Sexy lingerie. To make you feel sexy - and secretive. He won't know you're wearing them, but you will. Boost of confidence. I transfigured them out of some extra parchment in your trunk."  
  
"Do you transfigure paper to panties often?" Scarlett questioned. Ginny laughed, giving a noncommittal shrug. Scarlett showered as requested, using the shaving spell she had been taught by Ginny, and emerged from the attached girl's bathroom, Ginny nodding her approval as she had Leo on her lap. Scarlett's roommates were all still sleeping, including Hermione, who usually woke early, and so Scarlett was quiet as she kept her eyes wide for Ginny to apply the make up onto, and then took the lip gloss, dabbing it on her lips.  
  
"He's going to most likely have a heart attack with you in those shorts, but it will definitely be worth it, because you look so sexy right now."  
  
Scarlett giggled at Ginny's declaration. "Let's go get breakfast. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."  
  
Ginny agreed and so they walked down to the Great Hall together, just slightly after 7:15, Scarlett's hair drying in the unnaturally hot air. "Do you work out? Because I swear on Merlin's grave that you lost weight, but not in a 'I'm not eating' way, but a ... 'I'm punching kids for a mid-morning snack' way."  
  
"Do I look like I punch first years?" Scarlett giggled. "With all of my classes, it's a little stressful. Whenever I'm not doing homework, I tend to start kicking and punching things in there. It really helps with the stress, and I've been getting a little stronger, too, I've noticed. Not by much. I can now carry all of my text books without having to reload my bag after lunch, is all."  
  
Ginny giggled. "Well, sign me up for whatever you're doing. You look great. . ." Scarlett flushed. "The change I've seen from you this summer, to now... it's really great, Scarlett. I'm proud of you. I think Professor Snape is super proud. And even Harry and Hermione are proud, they just get protective... You're making so many friends, because you're so kind to everyone, and so many guys have crushes on you. You should see how many Gryffindors blush the next time you walk into the Common Room. It's ridiculous. And you're so smart! All of the Ravenclaws are jealous, but they can't hate you because you're Scarlett, and you're so nice." Scarlett flushed, thanking Ginny for the multitude of compliments. She couldn't ever remember waking up and the first thing in the morning being flooded with them.  
  
"We could always just go together, to Hogsmeade, and leave Dean and Cormac to take themselves," Ginny suggested as they sat at Gryffindor table. One of the firsts to do so, as on the weekends, the Great Hall was usually empty early in the morning. "Remind me why we got up at seven again?"  
  
"Because I didn't know what to do," Scarlett sighed. "Sorry for waking you-"  
  
"Just don't make this a habit," Ginny requested. "I value my beauty sleep. Not all of us can wake up at three in the morning like you and be able to run on pure excitement until midnight. That can't be normal!"  
  
Scarlett laughed. "I've never been able to sleep for long. I always had chores or things to do." Ginny sighed as she sipped her pumpkin juice, not having a comment. "Doesn't your mum make you wake up early?"  
  
"If she actually can," Ginny snorted. "We try not to get up before noon on any given break day."  
  
Cormac arrived promptly at 7:45 with a white button up and shorts on as well. "Look, you two are so end of summer, beginning of fall festive."  
  
"Ginny," Scarlett giggled, elbowing the girl. But she would glance over occassionally to see him eating toast while talking to one of his friends - Jul-something, Scarlett believed.  
  
"You sure know how to have attractive friends," Ginny said slyly. "Cormac? Zabini? Malfoy? What are you forming? The attractive circle?"  
  
Scarlett shook her head. "Why do we have to be forming something?"  
  
"So you are?" Ginny pressed.  
  
Scarlett shook her head again, giggling, as she pulled a piece of parchment out of her pocket. It was her Hogsmeade permission form - one that Severus had given her at lessons yesterday, with his signature and his word that all of her Saturday classes were cancelled. She hadn't had a Saturday off yet in the year and she was unsure if it was good for her routine. She was most worried that it might mess up her schedule and just overall be ... bad. She couldn't afford to get out of swing of her classes.  
  
By eight, she noticed that Cormac was approaching and said farewell to Ginny - no doubt seeing her in the small village. She rose, smiling politely, and he jerked his head towards the door. "Shall we go?"  
  
"Absolutely," she grinned. As they exited the Great Hall, she saw Ron, Hermione, and Harry descending the Grand Staircase and quickly turned her attention to Cormac. "I'm so excited. I've never been to Hogsmeade before. But I've heard it has everything."  
  
"Yeah, um, joke shop, book shop, tons of pubs, Quidditch place, apothecary... anything, really. Where do you want to go first?"  
  
She bit her lip. She didn't know. "Maybe you should surprise me. I'm not quite sure what's there." She shifted nervously, unsure what to do, really. Ginny had just said be herself... but Scarlett didn't know what herself was. She had never thought about it before. "Do you have any preferences?"  
  
"Not really. We'll wander."  
  
She agreed. Professor McGonagall was standing in front of the large bridge that led to the village, a stern look upon her face as she gazed at her Gryffindor students, and the pile of parchments clutched in her hand gave Scarlett the impression she had turned back a lot of students that didn't have their forms. She didn't seem to be in a good mood.  
  
"Miss Prince, Mister McLaggen. Your forms, please?"  
  
Scarlett handed it over, biting her lip as McGonagall scrutinized it before glanced at Cormac, who passed it to her gracefully, the smile on his face charming, as though trying to smooth-talk his way out of something.  
  
"Very well. Enjoy the village."  
  
"Thank you, Professor," Scarlett grinned.  
  
"So, is being friends with people Potter hates your specialty?" Cormac asked as they began their trek.  
  
Scarlett laughed. "Probably. I seem to be rather good at it."  
  
He chuckled. "Yeah... So, how come you've never... come to Hogwarts before. No writing or anything before?"  
  
She bit her lip. "I... I can't really tell you," she said quietly. "I'm not supposed to talk about it to people... But, I guess the short version of the story is that I wasn't allowed." He raised an eyebrow in surprise at her, and she folded her arms, biting her lip as she stared at the bridge left ahead of them. "I had a very different upbringing."  
  
"Yet you knew Malfoy.... You two weren't like engaged, right? Because I've heard of stories where Pureblood families will have the intended bride stay with them from a really young age-"  
  
"Oh, Merlin, no," she giggled. "Absolutely not. Draco's more... like a relative to me, than anything like that." She lifted her gaze towards the side of the bridge, where the picturesque scenery stretched on for miles. "It's gorgeous, isn't it? The grounds."  
  
"No where in the world."  
  
"I wonder what it's like on the banks..." Scarlett approached the edge, looking down. "It's so far down, though... Do you know what wildlife lives in the forest?"  
  
"Lots of things," he shrugged, leaning on the side with her. "Werewolf packs take refuge here, sometimes. There's unicorns and some massive spiders. Centaurs, like Professor Bane. So many different types of birds and bats. Some things you can't even see-"  
  
"Threstrals," she said quietly.  
  
"Er, those. And there are sometimes Hippogriffs. Whatever Hagrid has that's dangerous for his classes is usually in there. Best way to hide them from the Ministry."  
  
She watched as the jagged rocks that stretched all along the stream, directly under the bridge, had white waves crashing against them. "The river looks so strong."  
  
"You get caught in that thing and you probably won't survive," he admitted. "Dad and I go rafting some summers in Central Europe and this looks a lot rougher than that."  
  
"You vacation a lot?" she asked as they began moving towards the village once more.  
  
He shrugged. "Sometimes. Dad works for the Ministry, so he gets to travel a lot with his job, and we always sort of accompany him. Last summer we went to Bulgaria, Macedonia and Greece for two months or so... It's a lot of fun, I'd say. Already he's been assigned to go to Spain this upcoming summer."  
  
"Where's your favorite place, that you've visited?" she asked him curiously. They stepped onto solid dirt and walked into the trees, along a path that clearly said Hogsmeade was a few yard ahead.  
  
"That's tough," he exhaled, thinking. "I rather like Germany."  
  
"Any particular reason?" she asked.  
  
"No. Just... drinking, sports, and quiet." He gave a chuckle then, as though slightly embarrassed. "You, uh, travel?"  
  
"No," she said after a moment. "Not really. I was born in Ireland, and ... then I moved to Wiltshire. Then I moved to London for a few weeks this summer, and then Devonshire with the Weasleys. So if that counts as traveling... sort of. But no, I haven't been able to travel."  
  
"Not even like across the channel?"  
  
She shook her head. "Nope. Never left the British Isles."  
  
"Well, of those four... where was your favorite?"  
  
"London," she said immediately. "I didn't see much of it, but it's so beautiful and there's so many people. It's easy to get lost in the crowd." She shrugged.  
  
"I was born in Ireland, too. We have an estate in Dublin. What county were you born in?"  
  
She didn't know. "I... I don't know. They never told me..." She frowned slightly, trying to determine if it was possible to find that out, once the war was over. "I just know it was Ireland, during the First War."  
  
"Oh... are you an orphan from the war?"  
  
"Sort of," she admitted. "From what I understand, it was a lot of troubling times... nothing was certain."  
  
"A bit like what we're building now, huh?" he asked. "Dad doesn't believe he's back - some of the Ministry does, but I mean something happened out there with Diggory, and Potter certainly didn't kill him. And he showed himself at the Ministry a little while ago, in May... I certainly think it's real."  
  
"I do too," she admitted. "I've seen him. . .  he's definitely real."  
  
He didn't question what she meant, though he obviously wanted to know. They came around another curve on the path and Scarlett's eyes widened in surprise at the many homes stretched about. "Welcome to Hogsmeade," Cormac grinned. He offered his arm to her and she took it carefully. "Do you like sweets?"  
  
"Of course. What teenager doesn't?"  
  
He laughed, pulling her off towards a build"ing that said "Honeydukes" across the top. "Then I think you'll like this place."  
  
She spun slowly, taking in the abundance of sweets that surrounded them. "This is fantastic!" she admitted. "Look at all the sweets-"  
  
"What's your favorite?" Cormac asked, pulling her towards the many different jars of candy. A sign atop it said "Free samples. Take only one per item."  
  
"Not sure," Scarlett admitted. "I do like chocolate, though."  
  
He grinned, pulling her a bit down the row of jars until they got to the chocolate items. "Let's try them." She agreed wholeheartedly and they each took one of each jar, trying them together and either grimmacing and shaking their heads, or giving a thoughtful look of appraisal. She admitted that she liked the Chocolate Milk Duds the most, as they had a creamy inside that almost was as though there was real milk.  
  
"Good, I'll get a bag," Cormac said simply.  
  
"What?" Scarlett frowned, confused. "Why? You don't have to-"  
  
"You came to Hogsmeade with me," Cormac said, giving her one of his charming smiles. She wondered if he ever didn't smile in a charming manner. "I treat you."  
  
"That doesn't make any sense," she admitted, still confused. "I have money, I can pay for it myself-"  
  
He cut her off as he selected a Milk Duds package from the shelf above the jar, shrugging. "It's what a guy does for a girl he likes. Buys her chocolates and things."  
  
A girl he likes? He liked her, in more than a friendly way, then. Ginny had guessed it, but Scarlett had denied it, insisting that perhaps it was a date between friends. "Oh..." Scarlett said quietly. "Well, if you're absolutely sure."  
  
"And besides, there's a discount if you buy two bags of any candy, you get it fifty percent off."  
  
"Oh, that makes more sense," Scarlett admitted, giggling slightly.  
  
He selected his favorite, a bag of Chocolate frogs, and shook his head. "You're so different from everyone else..." He quickly continued. "Not in a bad way. It's a good different. An interesting different."  
  
"Sometimes being different isn't always a good thing," Scarlett said as they walked to the counter.  
  
"Well, it is for you," Cormac winked. She flushed slightly, glancing towards the clerk as he rang up the items and Cormac slid the required coins across the counter, throwing another into a jar labeled "Tips."  
  
"Aren't tips pointers?" she asked as they walked out of the store, him handing her the candy he had purchased for her and she held it tightly, casting a cooling charm on it so that they wouldn't melt.  
  
"Well, yeah, sure, but usually when you see a jar with them in a shop, it, uh, means they would like a sickle or two for good service." He glanced at her strangely. "You've never seen a tip jar?"  
  
"Not really," she admitted quietly. "My only shopping experience is Diagon Alley."  
  
He 'humph'ed and they continued down the street, Scarlett taking in the shop names. "Anywhere that's catching your eye?"  
  
"You like Quidditch," Scarlett said suddenly, spotting the Quidditch shop. "We can go in there, if you'd like."  
  
"I'll be in there all day, probably," he warned.  
  
"I think your love for Quidditch is fascinating," she admitted. "I'm not a massive fan, myself, but it's an interesting sport. One I don't really understand. How can you play with so many things going on at once?"  
  
He shrugged. "You don't really think about them all, when you play. Just whenever you've been assigned to do." She thought about it. It all sounded so easy put like that. "You sure you want to go in?"  
  
"Of course," Scarlett shrugged. "It's your Hogsmeade trip too."  
  
He held out his hand to her and she took it, letting him lead her into the shop. The shopkeeper seemed to recognize him, calling Cormac by his first name. "And who's this?" he asked, peering towards Scarlett.  
  
"This is Scarlett Prince," Cormac introduced.  
  
"Hello," she said politely, offering a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mr...?"  
  
"Oh, call me Mac, they all do," the man insisted in a harsh Scottish brogue. "You're a pretty little thing. Cormac keeping his eye on you?"  
  
"Mac..." Cormac groaned.  
  
"I think so," Scarlett laughed quietly. "At least, that's what he tells me."  
  
"You two are both conspirators," Cormac muttered. "Got any new brooms, Mac?"  
  
"Oh, do we!" Mac boasted. "Got her in last week. Brilliant in the line. Brand new Firebolt, faster than anything on the market at the moment. Excellent turn capabilities and controlled stops. Firebolt Superior." The broom that was brought to the counter was very different from the brooms Scarlett used to sweep with. For one, the bristles looked as though they had been dyed and molded into a perfect rounded tip. And the polish was so dark that Scarlett wondered how it stayed so black.  
  
Cormac whistled as he appraised it, his hands ghosting over the glossy handle of the broom. "She's fantastic," Cormac whispered. "How much is she?"  
  
"Well, since she just came out on the market, forty galleons." It seemed a bit pricey, and Cormac's face showed that he seemed to think so as well. "But, I can give it to you for thirty, since you brought the lass."  
  
"Me?" Scarlett squeaked.  
  
"Twenty five," Cormac said simply, his eyes turning to Scarlett, smirking. "Unless she thinks lower."  
  
Scarlett bit her lip. "Well, the Firebolt costs twelve," she admitted. "I saw it in Diagon Alley when I walked by. And ... consider it's a new model, I think in the twenty to twenty five range is perfectly reasonable - though I don't see how it's worth forty. No brooms when first released have cost forty. So unless it's got a ... a seat warmer, well, I doubt it could cost that much."  
  
"Twenty three," Cormac said with a smirk, turning to Mac. "Highest I'm going."  
  
"She's smart, this one," Mac stated, glancing towards Scarlett. "Definitely a keeper, McLaggen. Fine, twenty three."  
  
"And have it shipped to my home in London," Cormac said, fishing the coins out of his pocket. "I already have a broom here."  
  
"Right away, sir," Mac winked. He counted the coins before nodding, turning the broom over. "Take a look at her registration number."  
  
Cormac snorted. "Now I see why you wanted forty." Scarlett peeked to see that the gold plate on the handle read: 002. The second built in the entire line. As Mac wrapped the broom, Cormac led Scarlett around the shop, pointing to things, explaining broom servicing kits, etc. She didn't know such care needed to be put into a broom - let alone a flying one.  
  
"Why is it being shipped to London?" she asked curiously.  
  
"My home's there," Cormac explained. "And I have a bit of a collection in my room-"  
  
"A collection?" Scarlett asked, intrigued. "Of brooms?"  
  
"Er, yeah," he admitted, coloring slightly as he scratched his neck. "Er, it's sort of my hobby. I have pretty much every mark that came out in the last nineteen years, and then all of the historical ones - the broom the Seeker rode in the 1465 World Cup. The first  
mass produced broom. List goes on, really. But they're all lined up on my wall, by year."  
  
"How many do you think you have?"  
  
"Forty-seven." His answer was so factual that she giggled. "I, er, count."  
  
"That's awesome," Scarlett admitted. "I didn't even know you could collect something like that." They departed from the Quidditch shop around eleven and Cormac offered some lunch, before they explored anymore. Scarlett agreed and they settled on the Three Broomsticks, where there were copious amounts of people, all talking amongst their friends and meeting up with people.  
  
As soon as Cormac and Scarlett entered, she noticed a few eyes on them, as if curious, judging. Cormac requested a table for two and they were placed at the near back, by a window.  
  
"Ignore them," Cormac said, pulling out a chair for her.  
  
"Thanks," she muttered, sitting, and as she did so, she noticed the whispers starting again. Merlin, more rumors were no doubt being started.  
  
"So, since you've never been here, I'll give you some recommendations," Cormac said simply, opening the menu on the table. "The chicken and chips is awesome. And the roast beef sandwich is pretty wicked too. I've only sampled the cheeseburger - from what I understand, it's a Muggle meal. Sort of like beef and cheese on a piece of bread. The ceasar salad is a little soggy-"  
  
"I love meat," Scarlett countered, giggling. "Nothing that's more than fifty percent vegetable."  
  
"After my own stomach," Cormac grinned. "Right, well, there's loads, then... Order whatever sounds good. Because it's always good here."  
  
She decided on the fish and chips, not overly fond of fish, but fond of chips. They chatted idly, mostly about their favorite things, which she found they had a lot in common of. And she had such a great time, she forgot about the people watching, staring, whispering. She focused on him.  
  
"You've never had Butterbeer either?" he asked, when he admitted it was his favorite drink.  
  
"I'm afraid not," she admitted. "Firewhiskey, though."  
  
He laughed. "You don't joke around, do you? We'll have to get some later."  
  
"Okay," she agreed. She played with the last fry in her basket, biting her lip. "What is it, about you, that you like the most?"  
  
He considered it. "Certainly getting deep, aren't we?" She smiled lightly, glancing back down at the fly in her hands that she had been picking at. "My eyes, I think."  
  
"Any reason why?"  
  
"I can see things with them," he admitted, glancing around them. "Obnoxious kids," he glanced towards her, "beautiful birds," and then out the window, "and what nature has out there." She gave him a small smile, his answer much deeper than she expected. "And what about you? Your favorite?"  
  
She didn't know, honestly. She contemplated, biting her lip as she thought. "I rather like my ability to eat. From some of the foulest things to the best-" She giggled, shaking her head. "I'm kidding. I... I think what I like most about me is my memory. It's a curse, but it's a gift, as well. I can remember things I don't want to remember, things I hate to think about... but I can also remember things that are good - that are for learning or for helping others... So, while it's not as deep and inspiration as yours, it's true."  
  
"No, it's good," Cormac insisted. "It represents you well... You're always learning something. Always staying one step ahead of what you knew the day before." He knew her well. "Are you sure you're not in Ravenclaw?"  
  
"I must be going to to the wrong classes, if I am," she laughed quietly. "No, I don't think I could be in Ravenclaw. It's a little too much academic pressure. I like doing it at my own pace."  
  
"Which is incredibly fast."  
  
She flushed. "Oops."  
  
He signalled for the bill and dug out the coins when she tried to dig out hers. "I'm paying," he said quickly. "Don't you dare-"  
  
"But you paid for the chocolate-" she countered, confused.  
  
"I'm paying for the whole day," he insisted. "Unless you're going to fight me. And if you win, I'll let you pay for the rest of it."  
  
A challenge? Her eyes sparkled. "What's the fight?"  
  
He chuckled, pulling out a piece of parchment from his pocket and writing on it with a Muggle writing instrument. "If you can explain... this properly."  
  
"But, that's not fair if I've never heard of it," she insisted.  
  
He slid it across the table and she glanced at it, reading the few words. "Red is a reflection of all other colors but red?" she whispered. "What does that mean?"  
  
"Do you give up?"  
  
"No," she insisted. She glanced at it, biting her lip. "Is this Muggle science?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"That's not fair," she observed.  
  
"You take Muggle studies." That was true. She stared at the parchment, trying to think. "Do you give up?" he asked again.  
  
"Will you tell me if I get it right?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Is it a riddle?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Red doesn't exist."  
  
"Nope."  
  
"I don't know," she admitted quietly. "You win."  
  
He smirked. "I know."  
  
She sighed in defeat, passing the parchment back, which he crumpled up and put it in the basket of his food remains. He paid for the meals and then stood, offering her his hand as he led her out of the restaurant. "Wait! Aren't you going to explain it?"  
  
"I will," he insisted. "Next time we see each other. So... Zonko's?"  
  
"Sure," she said brightly. It was the joke shop and Scarlett imagined it to be sort of like the Weasley's place. It wasn't quite... "This is sort of like Fred and George's place, but... not as-"  
  
"Not as impressive?" Cormac murmured to her. "I know." She giggled, agreeing. It was simply a shop with shelves of items. They perused them diligently, watching the demonstrations for each item, each making Scarlett giggle as something surprised her. Cormac started a basket on his arm, which she asked to carry so that he didn't have to. She held it in front of her as he put items inside of it, her giggling, but worried that he might use the items on students that couldn't defend themselves.  
  
But as they were checking out, she noticed some people staring at her, whispering... again. Almost horrified. Surely it wasn't about her being here with Cormac?  
  
"Hey, Cormac?" she asked carefully, under her breath as she glanced at him, setting the basket down on the counter for the clerk to check out.  
  
"Yeah?" he asked, watching the clerk carefully, for any mis-rings.  
  
"I... I'm feeling that butterbeer now... I'm not feeling too well." And she didn't. She felt sick to her stomach, her mind racing about what they were whispering about... what they were horrified about. Did they know something? Know a secret she didn't want them to?  
  
"Uh, yeah, of course," he said immediately, glancing towards her. Her eyes were trained on the counter, her fingers fidgeting with not only the bag of chocolate in her hands, but also her own fingers. "You look a little pale. Should we go to Madame Pomfrey-"  
  
"No, I just... think I need to get away from the crowd."  
  
"I know just the place," he insisted. He paid quickly and grabbed the bag, clasping it while he grabbed her free hand, making her stop fidgeting. "Do you feel sick?"  
  
She shook her head, swallowing. "No. Just... just need some air, I think."  
  
He led her down the street, towards a small pub that was out of the way, secluded, quiet. All the while, people were watching them, giving them wide berth. "They're acting weird," Scarlett said quietly. "You've noticed it, right? They're whispering... I don't have anything on my face?"  
  
"Just your face," he told her quietly. "I'm sure it's fine. Probably just jealous they couldn't come here with you-"  
  
"No, it's different," she said quietly. "It's... it's like they know something."  
  
"It's probably that you're friends with Malfoy," Cormac said soothingly, opening the pub door and leading her to a table. It was nearly empty, and those that were there were a few first years. "I mean, I would probably look at you that way if I didn't know you and you didn't explained it."  
  
"Maybe," she said weakly, bitting her lip worriedly as she played with her fingers again, and he ordered them two butterbeers. They came almost immediately and she sipped from it, feeling it warm her inside. "This is really good. Sweet."  
  
"Aberforth makes the best," Cormac told her. "This is the Hog's Head. Not really popular with the students, but the most secluded and less obtrusive." She appreciated it.  
  
"I'm sorry, for ... for having us leave the joke shop," she said quietly. "I ... I don't know why I let it bother me so much. I'm just really paranoid... There are secrets about me that are safer kept secret... Not for me, but for other people I care about."  
  
"It's okay," he shrugged. "There's not many places, anyway, in Hogsmeade, unless you need more supplies and stuff. We hit just about all of the highlights. You sure you aren't going to be sick?"  
  
"No," she promised, sipping her Butterbeer and staring at the table. "You don't pry... I like that. Usually, when people find out I have secrets, that keep prying, trying to get me to tell them."  
  
"That's not really the point of a secret, is it?" he asked wryly. "Besides, we all have them. For instance, I'm not going to be telling you the name of my teddy bear when I was six. It's atrocious and I never should have been allowed to name it." She giggled, sipping from her drink again. "Also, when I was eight, I'm afraid I can't say exactly how many food items I wanted to take a bath in."  
  
Her paranoia lessened the more he talked and she relaxed slightly, her gaze still on the table, but a small smile on her lips. Until the door burst open and Harry, Ron, and Hermione burst through, a paper in their hands.  
  
Scarlett groaned. "I don't want to hear it, please. I'm here with Cormac, get over-" The paper smacked down on the table with a thwack, making Scarlett flinch.  
  
"Have you seen this?" Harry demanded.  
  
"Seen what?" Scarlett asked, grabbing it and pulling it towards her. Her breath left her at the title. **SCARLETT SNAPE: LIONESS OR SLAVE?** "What?" she breathed. She quickly unfolded it, spreading it out on the table, knocking over her butterbeer in her haste, which Cormac righted before too much could spill. It got the paper wet, but Scarlett didn't care, her eyes reading the article to herself, her lips moving as she read in a silent whisper.  
  
 _Scarlett Prince, aged 18, is the newest student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But her origins are a bit hazy, as no one really knows them. There's no birth certificate and her primary school records are non-existant. So, the Daily Prophet did a bit of digging, and with the help of some students at Hogwarts, found out the truth._  
  
 _Scarlett Prince isn't really Scarlett Prince at all, but instead Scarlett Snape, the daughter of the youngest Professor ever offered a post at Hogwarts, and ex-Death Eater, Severus Snape, 38. Though her mother is unknown, we do know that Scarlett wasn't just separated from her parents, immediately following her birth, she was brought to Malfoy Manor, where she was at first treated as though a member of the family._  
  
 _That all changed when she turned six years old, and was named a servant to the house and branded - a brand that is reportedly the Malfoy crest. Students at Hogwarts were most surprised with this information, even going so far as to say that Prince and the young Mr. Malfoy were seen talking together in a pleasant manner._  
  
 _Her story doesn't end there. With the Dark Lord's recent uprising, Scarlett Prince was freed and brought to the Order, just this last summer, where she has been taught not only how to read and write for the first time, but also how to use magic! It seems that the eighteen years she spent in the Malfoy household was with no education at all. Ethical? Or entirely illegal! Word has it that the Ministry will be inquiring about her conditions there, and even add charges of rape, torture, and child abuse to the growing count for Lucius Malfoy's impending trial this Halloween._  
  
 _A source confirms that Scarlett Prince - or shall we say Snape? - is not the only one subjected to these conditions in the Malfoy household. Two years ago, in the late fall of 1994, Scarlett Prince gave birth to a bouncing baby boy - reportedly named Tyler. As a result of rape, the child is legally in her custody, but that's not the only tale involving young Tyler. The rape wasn't consentual on either sides. The other victim, Blaise Zabini, was imperio'd to rape Prince. This explains why they're seen together frequently in Hogwarts, as though they are friends. Here at the Daily Prophet, we understand that they're bonded through the traumatic experience, and are now best friends._  
  
 _Tragically, Tyler was ripped from his mother's arms at the age of one, on a cold December night, of which she was still bound under the House of Malfoy, unable to do anything to prevent it. The locations of Tyler are unknown today, but our sources report that he is still alive somewhere, unknown to not only Scarlett herself, but also to those that care for Scarlett. Where is Tyler Zabini? Does anyone really know?_  
  
 _A search effort is expected to be underway to find Tyler, by both Prince and her father, but it is unknown if this is the case, or if they even knew to this day that he was alive. No word from the Malfoy family, yet, on any of this startling news. We are unsure of how the Headmaster will take the news, as well. It is a very strict rule at Hogwarts that no teen parents are allowed to study - but will the conditions surrounding this cause the Headmaster to overlook the rules? We expect a statement tomorrow evening about the matter from the school._  
  
 _Will the Malfoy family be able to bounce back from this constant defamation these last few months? And will young Scarlett Prince be reunited with her son after nearly two years of separation? Will there be a happy reunion with mother, father, and daughter? The Daily Prophet will be the first to report and inform you of any progress in this story._  
  
Scarlett didn't even realize she had risen, until she finished the article, leaning over the table, her fingers tracing the words as she read, tears swimming in her eyes.  
  
"We know it's not true, but the information... some of that-" Harry said quickly.  
  
"They know everything," she whispered. She felt sick. Much sicker than she had felt before. That's why people were staring. That's why they were all horrified. They knew what she had gone through - perhaps not fully, but to some extent. The rapes, the tortures... the servitude. She stumbled away from the paper, her hands flying to her mouth to keep back the sob. But the tears were already free.  
  
"Scarlett-" Hermione said gently. "We know it's not true."  
  
The sob left Scarlett almost immediately after she heard the words. They trusted her so much, they believed her when she said nothing... She deserved none of it. "It's all true," she whispered. "I need to talk to Pomfrey... explain... Apologize. It's... It's, oh Merlin-" She rushed from the pub, her feet carrying her as fast as they would take her through the village, up the path, and across the bridge.  
  
When she came to the Hospital Wing, it seemed Madam Pomfrey already knew. She stood at Scarlett's sudden entrance, and the teen wiped her eyes, trying to take calming breaths. "Scarlett!" Madame Pomfrey cried. "Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm so sorry- about the article... Please, I don't want you to think I lied to you, to keep it secret... He's not safe... he's not safe if anyone knew and... and I'm so sorry. I just don't want you to be disappointed, or mad, and... I'm sorry," Scarlett rushed out. "I... I planned to tell you, once I knew where he was, if he was safe, but... but I didn't - and I never thought, never even expected so soon-" She took a gasping breath of air, almost unable to breath. "Please, forgive me... I never meant for-"  
  
"Scarlett, Scarlett," Madame Pomfrey said calmingly, approaching the emotional teen and wrapping her arms around Scarlett's body. "Come, I believe we best sit in my office and have some tea."  
  
Scarlett hiccuped. "I-I understand if you want to kick me out of your program. This is at least a hundred points and... and I'm sorry-"  
  
"No, none of that," Madame Pomfrey chided. "We'll have tea and talk about this, alright? I want to know precisely what happened and if there's anything medical you require-"  
  
"But-But the rule-"  
  
"We'll all deal with it in time, but right now you need to relax and get a nice cup of tea." Madame Pomfrey guided her to the chair in her office, and Scarlett hiccuped again, biting her lip to keep from apologizing. She pulled some tea off of a hot plate and poured two cups, before adding a small potion to Scarlett's tea. "A calming draught," she explained. "Do you take sugar or milk?"  
  
"No, just tea," Scarlett said quietly. She took the cup and noticed that her hands were shaking, but sipped it. The calm immediately washed over her, soothing her.  
  
"Now," Madame Pomfrey said after a moment, as Scarlett began to relax. "Explain to me everything from the very beginning, and leave nothing out." So she told the woman everything, and made sure to leave nothing out, and it only made her feel more at ease - or perhaps it was the potion she was drinking. Scarlett didn't know, but she found she didn't care much. Tyler was her top priority.


	28. Humiliations

The office door opening did nothing to calm her nerves, it just ignited them again and she flinched upon seeing her father's withering glare. "Who else have you told."  
  
"No one," Scarlett promised. "That information has been told to no one but you. Not even your mother knew that much." She swallowed, sipping the rest of the tea. "I promise, sir, I told no one-"  
  
"Then the information was leaked somehow." She swallowed, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"I've given her a calming draught," Madame Pomfrey spoke up. "She came in a frightful condition, babbling on and on about how she was sorry."   
  
"Thank you, Poppy. If I may speak to her alone?"  
  
"Of course, Severus. You can use my office. I have sheets to fold."  
  
Severus nodded and Scarlett swallowed as he sat in her chair, the door shutting as Madame Pomfrey left. "When did you hear about the article?"  
  
"I... I didn't know about it until an hour ago," Scarlett admitted. "I was just in Hogsmeade, walking around with Cormac..." He pursed his lips at that bit of information. "And... and then I started noticing people whispering, staring, giving me these looks... these looks like I was dreadful. And I felt a little sick, so we went to the Hogs Head, Harry and Ron and Hermione had the paper and they showed, showed it to me... and ..." She shook her head. "I had to explain to Madame Pomfrey. I couldn't be kicked out of the Healer program...  I didn't want to. But it's all so silly now, realizing that was my first thought."  
  
"We often think of trivial things in a bout of panic," Severus said cooly. "Who knew?"  
  
"You, Draco, Blaise, and your mother, sir. Those are the only ones that know about Tyler, besides Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. But none of them would have told the Prophet," she insisted. "That wouldn't make sense. It only added to Lucius's charges, not diminished. So it couldn't have been the Malfoys or Blaise, it didn't benefit them. And your mother didn't know all of the details. It wasn't her. She knew the severity of the information. And I know you wouldn't tell sir. And I wouldn't have been working endlessly on Occulemency just to tell the Prophet."  
  
"Did you write it down anywhere? The information?" he asked. "Or maybe mumble it in your sleep? Any dreams of the incident?"  
  
"No, I sleep with my curtains shut and a silencing charm, just in case. I specifically didn't want my dormmates to find out," she said quickly. "And... and-" Her eyes widened. "There was a journal... I ... I wrote in it, a month ago. Because, I was just so overwhelmed with it all on my chest, that I needed to write it down. I was mostly using it to practice my handwriting as well. But I hide it. And no one knew I had it, except for Cormac - but he didn't know. He was oblivious to the article just like I was, and when he started to read it-" She remembered the look on his face. The surprise, the surprise that couldn't be fake. "It wasn't him either, sir. When he read it, it was the first time he heard of it."  
  
"Is it possible any of your dormmates got ahold of it?" Severus pressed. "Maybe discovered it by accident?"  
  
"It's under my mattress sir, near the middle of it. I took great care in making sure it couldn't accidentally fall out or anything... If anyone did find it, they would have woken me up in doing so."  
  
He exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "He knows. The Dark Lord is aware of Tyler, of everything. Thankfully, most of it isn't news, but ... he wishes to see you tonight. Your Astronomy class has been cancelled. And the Headmaster will be cancelling your classes until further notice - a staff meeting will take place all day tomorrow, to discuss what will happen..."  
  
"What happens if I'm kicked out?" she whispered. "Will I go back to the Manor? The Dark Lord will kill me, won't he? Because if I'm kicked out, I won't be able to get information on Harry-"  
  
"The staff find your intelligence remarkable, and they were already aware of apart of the situation. I doubt they will look at you any differently. However, it's formal protocol. You will not be sleeping in your dorm for the time being." She understood. The stares, the whispers. "You will stay in my private quarters, in my guest room, for the time being, and eat your meals there. However, since a majority of the students are still in Hogsmeade, I see no problem in going to your dorm for the afternoon to collect your thoughts, find your journal, and bring it to me. I need to assess it for any tampering."   
  
"I understand, sir," she said quietly. "I don't want to hide from them," she said carefully. "It's not a secret anymore. And if they think it will hurt me, they can use it against me-"  
  
"Brave," he said, cutting her off. "A true color for your house, but ... I fear that they may become nasty. It's for your safety that we remove you from the situation before it gets worse. If asked, you are in the Headmaster's office for the evening. You will have a meeting with him after we return from the Manor."  
  
She nodded, swallowing. "Okay."  
  
"So, go to the Common Room, relax your mind, because your Occulmency shields need to be intact. Then, come to the Defense classroom for dinner, before we depart for the Manor."  
  
"Okay, sir." The more he repeated it, the calmer she became, thinking of it as instructions, as if she was brewing a potion. She stood, understanding she was dismissed. "I'm sorry, sir... for it getting out. I never intended... I didn't want this to happen."  
  
"I know," he said carefully. "But it did, so we must deal with this in the best way possible. Hurry up. Before they return."  
  
She nodded, opening the office door and Madame Pomfrey looked up from her place sheeting a few beds. "Scarlett, I'll give you the next few days off, in your Healing courses. We're so far ahead of schedule. And I'll postpone your project until Tuesday evening-"  
  
She swallowed, feeling a rush of gratitude for the woman. "I already finished the project, if you want it early. I can give it to you tomorrow, actually. . ." She bit her lip, paying with the sleeve of her blue sweater. "Thank you, Madame Pomfrey, for... for talking and the tea-"  
  
"Of course, dear. Anytime."  
  
She took her time walking to the Common Room, finding only one or two students there, underclassmen that weren't allowed to go to Hogsmeade in the first place. They openly stared at her, but she swallowed and pushed through the walk from the portrait to the staircase and then walked purposefully up the stairs, running through anyone that would want to do this to her in her head. She couldn't come up with anyone. No one would want to ruin her reputation like this - or her father's. Or Blaise. Or Draco's. It was... almost, evil.   
  
When she got to her dorm, she pushed Leo out of the way, rummaging through her things to see if there was any torn pages, copied pages, anything - but there was none. No charms either that would have seen what she wrote. She lifted up her mattress, grabbing the journal, and then glanced throughout the room, before she decided, that if she was discreet, checking each girl's trunks would do her no harm. She was most likely not returning to the school after tomorrow evening, anyhow.   
  
She would be expelled.   
  
None of their trunks contained anything and Scarlett was careful to put them all back in the exact order she opened them to. Hermione's was the one she felt the most dread with, but there was nothing. Not even a hint of animosity towards Scarlett. She rushed down the stairs, hearing voices of people returning. Meaning a crowd. She held the journal in front of her, flying down the stairs and flicking her wand at it, her heart sinking when she saw the last spell done on it was the copying charm.   
  
Someone had copied the pages.   
  
She froze at the bottom stairs, noticing there were people watching her. Notably, Lavender Brown.   
  
"So... who knew the prude was a slut," she spoke up. "No wonder Zabini hangs around you... Put out once, you're bound to put out again." Scarlett swallowed, stepping around the blonde, trying to get to the portrait hole. "And Malfoy. Is that what you were good for, after you were made a slave, Prince? Sex and cleaning. Every man's dream, huh?"  
  
"You don't know anything, you daft bimbo!" Scarlett cried, spinning around and glaring at the blonde. The smirk on the girl's face immediately turned to shock. "Do you know what's happened? What will happen? It's all true, you idiot. The entire article. It all happened, and do you know why? Because there are some people in this world that are good, and some people in this world that are bad. And I was freed because good people freed me. I was freed because ... because I was destined to do something more than that. But do you know what will happen now? Do you?" Lavender opened her mouth, at a loss for words. "They can send me back, now." She felt tears flood her eyes at the very thought. "My one chance to find him, to find my son because I lost him, the one chanceI had to make my life my own is gone now, because someone decided to copy my diary, to blab to the media, and now I can be expelled for it, I can be sent back to the Manor and put back into servitude, sent back... probably killed." She held back a sob at the very thought, shaking her head. "All because someone hated me so much... I've never done anything to hurt any of you, and if I have, I'm so sorry... I never meant it, it was never my intention. I just want to have a future. I never had one before." She bit her lip, glancing at the book in her hands. "He's not safe anymore. The one hope I had, was the fact that if this stayed a secret, the Dark Lord wouldn't find out about him, wouldn't use him to ... to hurt me, or to hurt Professor Snape... and... and not Tyler's in danger, if he's found. Because... because..."   
  
She shook her head, turning in a flurry, and running into someone. Harry. His sudden presence made her want to cry, made her want to talk to him about everything, to apologize about everything, to just sit with him and pretend nothing happened. "Where are you going?" he asked.  
  
"I... I have a meeting with Dumbledore," Scarlett said quietly. "It's against the rules, to be a parent and a student. It's against the rules for all of this... and ... and I need to talk to him. He requested to talk to me... If he kicks me out..." she sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "Bloody hell, I could really use the twin's firewhiskey."  
  
"If he kicks you out... what will happen?" Harry asked. "Will you go to the Weasleys?"  
  
She shook her head, swallowing. "No... I don't think that will happen." She sniffled once more and moved past him. "I'll be back later tonight... to get my things. I... I've been told not to sleep here... Don't wait up for me."   
  
She turned from the room quickly, feeling all eyes on her, and pushed through the growing crowd to the portrait, where she slipped through and quickly made her way to the Defense classroom. She needed to clear her mind, and she needed to do it quickly.  
  
Severus was waiting for her, when she arrived, and he noticed her red face, the tear stains from her mascara, and exhaled. "I take it they came back a little early."  
  
She nodded, passing the diary to him. "My name was on the back. I didn't even think much about it. I thought it was a mistake, waited for someone to claim it, but when no one did, I ... I used it. Only once, though, to tell about the incident." He set it on his desk, casting the same charm she had. "And I looked through the entire dorm. There were no copied pages. Wherever they are, they're long gone."  
  
He sighed. "It's not your fault, Scarlett. It's only natural you wish to write about your feelings. The fact that this was used against you... it doesn't mean that you will have to stop using it. However, I will give it to the Headmaster to evaluate while we're gone so that he can find a magical signature on it - we will find out who did this and they will be punished severely."  
  
She was okay with that, and she sat down at one of the desks, biting her lip as her mind raced. "You said I needed to know Occulmency."  
  
"Yes. Is your mind clear enough to keep the proper shields up?"  
  
She shook her head. "I... I sort of shouted at a few people on the way here."  
  
He smirked. "Yes, definitely your mother's daughter." He presented her with a calming draught. "You will have to take another dosage before we leave for the meeting, but I believe otherwise you will be fine. I have complete confidence that you will be able to pass this meeting."  
  
"He won't kill me, then?"  
  
"No. I have already discussed with him this afternoon a few things..." At her surprised glance, he continued. "Things the Headmaster has informed me, but I'm not at liberty to tell you just yet. She could accept that. The potion was making her calm, she could tell, and she let things breeze past her without giving them much thought. Her racing throughts minimalized to a slow walk, of which only one train was present - the Healing classes. She ran through all of the injury treatments she had so far learned, just in case she would need them after the meeting. Severus left her alone while he went to the Headmaster's office, and the elves presented her with a hefty dinner for two - all of the possible dishes on the tables downstairs, including....  
  
"We made Miss Prince a cake," Dobby said, his hands kneeding a sock on only one of his feet. "We were very scared that Missy might be leaving us, because we likes Missy. Dobby has talked fondly of Missy, of how she works just as hard as the Houseelves. The elves were very sad when they heard you might be leaving, Missy. Many of them are still crying..." She glanced from Dobby to the handful of other elves that had accompanied him.  
  
"You're all so kind," Scarlett said quietly, getting out of her seat and kneeling on the floor in front of them. "Thank you for everything..."  
  
"And Dobby is sorry, Missy, for what happened at the Manor. He did not mean for Missy to get hurt."  
  
"Oh, it's alright," Scarlett insisted. "It was years ago... I'm so glad you've finally gotten what you wanted - freedom and a chance to work at Hogwarts-"  
  
"But Missy got what Missy wanted too!" Dobby said firmly. "She got Hogwarts, too, and friends! And family!"  
  
She smiled, hugging Dobby suddenly, careful not to crush the tiny creature. She then hugged the other elves, thanking them for the cake. They apparated quickly, squeaking that Severus was coming, and she got off the floor, filling a plate for herself of her favorite foods.   
  
"A number of Gryffindor students have appealed to the Headmaster, claiming that not only have they not done the deed of betraying your trust," Severus said stiffly, shutting his office door behind him. "But that they also do not want you to be expelled. Apparently, the speech you gave to them was quite inspiring. Among those on the list, a Mister Finnegan and Mister Longbottom were quite fiery in their speech together, vowing to kick whatever Gryffindor did it to Mister Malfoy and Mister Zabini to deal with. Likewise, Slytherin house has risen to the occassion, requesting quite the same thing - to destroy the one that informed the Prophet, and to keep you here. Apparently, they fear just what the Dark Lord would do to their families if they are punished for letting it happen under their noses."  
  
She swallowed. "Who knew the houses would unite in this cause?"  
  
"Who knew," he agreed. "Albus has refused to take anymore visitors after a quite spirited fellow by the name of Cormac McLaggen threatened to throw any Gryffindor that did it off the top of Gryffindor tower - no broom to catch them."  
  
She couldn't stop the giggle that left her. "Dramatic... and quite messy."  
  
"Indeed," Severus intoned. "He is very protective of you."  
  
"Apparently a lot of Gryffindor house is, sir, and Slytherin, as well." She hesitated, sipping from the gillywater. "How did... Blaise take the news?"  
  
"Oh, his mother delivered a howler when I ran into him. He was attempting to run to the nearest abandoned classroom before it exploded." She snorted again. "He and Draco are currently interrogating Crabbe and Goyle. When I say interrogating, I mean making our hand-to-hand combat sessions seem like simple slaps on the wrist."  
  
"I hope they aren't hurting-"  
  
"I gave them full permission to do what they wish, short of fatally maiming," Severus interrupted. "Do you feel better?"  
  
"Not as sick to my stomach," she admitted softly. "I'm just so... so worried, now."  
  
"Yes, well, we all are," he stated simply. "The staff is up in arms, Minerva is adament one of her lions would not betray another like this - she's threatened a year of detentions with me if she finds out it was her, and I've informed her if I found out it was one of my students, a year of detentions with her. She was all too happy to agree. I believe Poppy is interesting in having the student clean out bed pans for the rest of their existance."  
  
"This is all a little... much, don't you believe?"  
  
"Not only have they threatened your safety, and my safety, but the safety of your son," Severus said simply. "The staff is not taking this likely. That being said, I highly, highly doubt that you will be expelled. No one seems to think that you should be."  
  
She twirled her fork in the mashed potatoes, biting her lip. "And the Dark Lord? What mood was he in?"  
  
"He is furious," Severus said simply. "However, I informed him that I had witheld the knowledge that Tyler was alive from you because I did not want to distract you from your task to gather information from Harry." She lifted her gaze sharply, shocked. "He was also under the impression that I kept this information secret from him, because I did not wish to alert anyone - if they were to be the holders of Tyler, in case they killed Tyler before I could find him."   
  
"That was remarkably quick thinking," she said quietly. "But... he must not have been pleased with you."  
  
"Oh, that is was not," he agreed. "But... it's better he is furious with me, than furious with you."  
  
She chewed her mashed potatoes quietly, thinking. "Sir? If... if he requests to find Tyler?"  
  
"You must let him make the attempt. However, we will always be finding him first."  
  
She exhaled slightly, relieved. As long as she knew the situation she was walking into, she didn't fear it that much.  



	29. Meetings

Severus gave her a firm look as they walked towards the gates. "You remember how to act?"  
  
"Confident, but submissive," Scarlett responded quietly. "Devout, but a bit intimidated. And willing to give information." Severus nodded, satisfied, offering his arm to her, and she took a deep breath before seizing it in her grasp, and the feeling of apparation overwhelmed her senses.   
  
For being without Malfoy Manor for so long, its presence was like a crushing weight that brought back all of the memories it contained. The cleaning, the evenings, the grandeous ballroom she was forced to clean for no real purpose. But it was familiar. The large white washed walls as they crossed the gate, made of the finest imported marble, greeted her. Almost welcomed her.  
  
And Severus's loose grip on her wrist comforted her in some small degree. She took a deep breath as they approached the formal dining room and set in place the more confident Scarlett - the Scarlett Blaise had been training her to be. This was the place for it. This was where it needed to shine most, because she needed to be strong on the inside, believe in herself, in order to appear weak on the outside.   
  
"Right on time, Severus," the Dark Lord hissed, his head turning in their direction only slightly. "And you've brought your daughter. How nice!"  
  
Severus pulled out a chair for her and their eyes met only seconds before she felt the intrusion of him in her mind, and then his voice. "I will speak in your mind and you say precisely what I tell you to." She could do that. She broke their eye contact, sitting down quietly, her gaze traveling to the Dark Lord, but not daring meet his eyes.   
  
Once everyone was seated, The Daily Prophet slammed upon the hard table, causing many to flinch, much like Scarlett had. "Most upsetting news. The secrets are out, it seems," the Dark Lord snapped. "Secrets I was not pleased were released."  
  
"My Lord," Lucius spoke, as though his mouth was dry and he desperately needed a glass of water. Scarlett's gaze traveled to him, seeing the graying hair, the aging lines about his face that hadn't been there just a few weeks ago. His hands were trembling as he placed them on the table, clasped together. "How this information got out, I assure you, was not as a result of my family. It would only serve to make our image worse." He swallowed thickly as the Dark Lord's gaze slitted to him. "My wife and I are working on something to release to the press, to discredit these accusations-"  
  
The Dark Lord smirked. "You see, Lucius, I had something in mind already, in fact." He rose from his chair and Scarlett had this feeling in her gut that things were about to go south... fast. "Poor Scarlett has suffered so much, because of you. And I know just the way to remedy it." He turned his gaze to the red-headed teen, a calm, curious look on his face. "Scarlett, how do you feel about him taking full responsibility."  
  
Scarlett heard her father's voice in her head, speaking to her and she began to repeat them, slowly, only processing them once she had finished speaking. "I feel, my Lord, that if the public were to know that I was behind him taking full responsibility, there may be repercussions against me. I would hate for people to become suspicious of me... If they were to believe the victim Scarlett, however... It would work in your favor, my Lord. I will be closer yet to Harry Potter and his friends."   
  
But she wanted to take them back. She didn't want Lucius to take full blame. It wasn't his fault for most of it - for some of it. She had been clumsy, bringing most of it upon herself with her careless actions.  
  
The Dark Lord grinned, his nubby teeth sending chills down Scarlett's spine. "You heard the girl, Lucius. Tomorrow morning, you will go before the press and release a statement, claiming each accusation presented against you to be true, if it is in fact true. Tell me, Scarlett, dear, did Lucius ever force himself upon you?"  
  
"N-No, my Lord," Scarlett replied honestly, startled by the question. "No one from the Malfoy family did so."  
  
"But punished you, he did," The Dark Lord clarified.  
  
"Yes, he would ... he would bring me visitors, my Lord, instead. People to ... as you said, force themselves upon me. But never himself or... or Draco."  
  
"Then I suppose you can deny those claims, Lucius," the Dark Lord granted to the Malfoy patriarch. He paced around the table. "And the news, Scarlett, of this little boy... what did the article call him? Tyler?"  
  
Scarlett swallowed, but her father's voice was in her head once more, coaching her. "I... I would like to state, my Lord, that I had no idea he was alive. When he was taken from me... I ... I was told he was dead. There was no reason for me not to believe it." The Dark Lord gazed at her. "But the news he is alive, my Lord, relieves me so-"  
  
"And the father is as the article reports, Blaise Zabini?"  
  
"Yes, my Lord... He was... he was young, my Lord. And... and he did not wish to force himself upon me," Scarlett admitted. "The imperious curse took care of the reluctance."   
  
"Yes, he was always a more compassionate boy," the Dark Lord answered after a moment. "You are friends with him?"  
  
"Considering the circumstances, my Lord, we became friends shortly afterwards and... when I was generously given a chance to go to Hogwarts, thanks to you, my Lord, I... we were reunited and resumed our friendship."   
  
"Did he know of Tyler's presence in the Manor?"  
  
"Whispers, my Lord. Draco had informed him of my state once it became news to the family, and a test was performed to determine who was the father - once he knew it was him, I hadn't heard from him since." She bit her lip. "But now that he knows that Tyler is alive, we are both-"  
  
"Relieved," the Dark Lord finished abruptly. "Yes, I understand how you would be. Afterall, the article did not make it seem as though you woke and he was suddenly gone. I'd imagine it was much more... traumatic than that."  
  
"Yes, my Lord," Scarlett admitted quietly.  
  
"Can you tell me anything about Potter?"  
  
Tell him everything you know.   
  
"He and his friends are fighting constantly, my Lord," Scarlett answered promptly. "It seems Hermione Granger is jealous of the fact Harry Potter is beating her in Potions class, and she has begun to accuse him of cheating - Ronald Weasley is also fighting with him, my Lord, at the moment. It appears as though he finds the Choosen One personification of Harry's abilities to be ... too much for his friendship to handle. He has resorted to talking about him behind his back. Ron and Hermione, as well, are fighting, as Harry rigged the Quidditch game so that he had a vial of liquid luck in his drink before a game. And ... Hermione knowing this, is angry at Harry and Ron, for both knowing so... In summary, my Lord, they are much too divided to be doing anything productive at the moment. But Harry has been sneaking out lately, after dinners. While I'm studying in the aclove, he tells his friends he has meetings with Dumbledore. I don't know what they're about, he won't talk about them, not even to his friends-"  
  
"Meetings with Dumbledore?" the Dark Lord said abruptly, turning to face her. "How frequently?"  
  
"Once a week at most, my Lord," Scarlett admitted. "Perhaps once every two weeks. There is nothing I've found out, though."  
  
"I see... anything else?"  
  
"Nothing I've found of great import, my Lord," Scarlett admitted quietly. "They were a bit wary of my interaction with Blaise Zabini, but now that they understand why, I feel confident they will trust me more and be able to discuss with me things you wish to find out - discreetly, of course."  
  
"I've heard... I'm unsure if it was in the article of not," the Dark Lord said, returning to his seat and flipping it open to the article about her, "that you are now partners with Draco Malfoy in a class... Arithmancy?"  
  
"Yes, my Lord," Scarlett admitted. "He requested to be my partner, and I agreed - I figured if I were ever unable to come to a meeting, my Lord, for whatever reason, I could possibly relay information to him and he would be sure to tell you what it is you need to know. I would rather have multiple means of communicating with you, than one - if Severus is found out to be spying for you, I would be cut off."  
  
"You are very intelligent," he spoke sharply. "Do you hold no resentment towards your father for keeping it a secret from you? That your son was alive?"  
  
"No, my Lord," Scarlett said honestly. "After I initially got over some emotional ... outbursts, I was actually alright with him keeping the information from me... I understand that he was only trying his best to look out for me."  
  
"He admits he's training you in Occulmency."  
  
"We did not want Dumbledore becoming suspicious of me," Scarlett said, the response rehearsed because of the many times they had talked about it. "So, it's partial Occulmency. I'm shielding memories none of us want Dumbledore to see - such as this meeting."  
  
"Indeed," he said shortly. He gazed at Scarlett for a moment. "Lucius?"  
  
"My-my Lord?"  
  
"You will assist me in finding her son." His gaze turned back to Scarlett. "I will be very generous to you, again, my dear. I will help search for your dear Tyler."  
  
The emotions that flooded through her were very different from the ones that appeared on her face. "My Lord-I-I don't know what to say, that is so very kind of you-"  
  
"We will find him," the Dark Lord promised. "Lucius, stand. I believe you should be punished for the way you treated my most valuable source of information. Scarlett, my dear, you have pleased me so much just with this meeting alone... I have no doubt that you will be my number one source of information on Potter soon." As Lucius stood, the Dark Lord asked. "Do you know how this information was released?"  
  
"I don't know, my Lord... It's possible a dormmate or someone that isn't too fond of me may have cornered me, forced me to speak with a Veritiserum - they were brewing them in my Potions class a few weeks ago. And if that is so, I do not remember it, my Lord."  
  
"I want a name the next time we meet, and a how, or else I will be very upset with you, my dear." Scarlett swallowed, understanding, and then Lucius was giving a choked cry as a spell hit him, sending him to the ground on his knees. "It must be nice, for once, Scarlett, to have your old Master submitting."  
  
"Quite," Scarlett agreed hollowly, but her heart was racing as the man that had nearly raised her was screaming out in pain, screaming for it to stop. It made her think of all the times she had been in that position, crying, screaming, begging.  
  
Once Lucius was released, the meeting was dismissed and Severus took her arm, dragging her from the home as she felt him slip out of her mind. "You did well," he muttered.  
  
"What if it was one of my friends?" she murmured, biting her lip. "What will he do to them?"  
  
"No doubt kill them, if he can ever get his hands on them," Severus stated. They appearated to the Hogswarts gates and then began moving at a fast pace, the Headmaster's office their destination. "Albus and I will create a decoy, perhaps a way to eliminate a media threat to the Order, while also protecting whoever actually did do this."  
  
"But... someone will still die."  
  
"Would you rather it be a classmate or someone that will only expose the Order's plans?"  
  
"Well, someone that would expose the Order's plans, if those are the only two options-"  
  
"Then there is no more argument."  
  
"But it's murder!" Scarlett accused, her breath fast as she tried to keep up with him. "I can't kill someone-"  
  
"And you won't. The Dark Lord will," Severus snapped. "Or he'll kill you. And then find Tyler."  
  
She swallowed. "But-"  
  
"There's nothing more to discuss." She shut her mouth following him up to the Headmaster's office. Albus Dumbledore was someone she didn't think could get angry - at least not as angry as he was, which was as though he discovered that his favorite author had stopped writing a book series in the middle of it.   
  
Furious.  
  
"The magical signature detects Miss Brown," Albus stated firmly. "Though how she did it without waking you up, Miss Prince, is beyond me-"  
  
"Perhaps she did it in the morning, while I was in the Room of Requirement," Scarlett supplied. "I go there in the mornings for studying and supplimental training." She bit her lip as the Headmaster raised an eyebrow in surprise. "If she did it then, I wouldn't have even noticed it moved... I have even forgotten about it-"  
  
Severus snarled. "Wonderful. I do believe a year's worth of detentions scrubbing every floor in the castle will suffice. Perhaps we should make her do it in a house elf's rags, as Scarlett was, with nothing but a scrub brush and bucket-"  
  
"While I know your punishment is not without merit, we must take an ethical approach-"  
  
"She has put a three year old boy's life in danger, Albus," Severus snapped. "All ethics have flown out the window. She has not only exposed secrets about me and Scarlett, but she has also threatened to expose the entire network of deceit we've been working twenty years on!"  
  
"I can grant six months, but not a year of such a punishment. And you will have to discuss it with Minerva, though I doubt she'd be surprised by the idea. She has similar punishments in mind. Miss Brown has been taken to the infirmary for a broken jaw and cheekbone due to Miss Weasley punching her - I believe Minerva awarded fifty points to Gryffindor for defending another student - what she said to you, Scarlett, was rather unpleasant."  
  
Scarlett frowned. "But, Lavender... she doesn't seem like the type to do this... Be jealous, perhaps petty comments, but not come up with something like this-"  
  
"She still had a hand in it. Rita Skeeter was the one that published the article, and I believe they were working together on the matter... I've contacted the Ministry about the matter, telling them I would be handling it-"  
  
"The Dark Lord wants whoever was responsible for the release of information punished," Severus interrupted. "We can either use Lavender as the sole responsibility or Skeeter. Personally, I'd like to use both-"  
  
"Skeeter," Scarlett said. "Please, I don't want to hurt Lavender, nor a woman I barely know, but... I've read the papers at Grimmauld Place she published about Harry and Ron and Hermione... and the Order. She is a supporter of gossip, no matter who it is towards -  and undermining us would... would possibly sway loyalty in the war. While this article, I believe, will make more people view the Order as good, she ... she needs to be stopped."  
  
"I'd ask your friends about anything they can tell us about Miss Skeeter," Dumbledore said with a nod. "If we can find anything that can pin her as the person to do this, then we will do so. And Severus will create an aliby for her - getting rid of whatever one she no doubt has."  
  
Scarlett swallowed as Severus nodded firmly.   
  
"Now, onto the matter of ... your schooling. The staff will have a meeting all day tomorrow," Dumbledore informed her, though Scarlett already knew. "We will discuss what to do with you and Mr. Zabini, and then inform you two of the matter before we inform the press. The decision, at the moment, is in your favor... Neither of you were to fault for this occurance and Tyler is simply our top priority... If you were to be expelled, he could be in graver danger, you as well."   
  
"I... I don't want to leave, sir, but I want the meeting to be fair. It is still against the rules-"  
  
"And evaluated by a case to case basis," Severus interrupted. "And this is certainly a special case."  
  
"You need not blame your past, Scarlett. Your past is what is going to give you such a bright future." Scarlett didn't know what he meant by that. "I believe now that Miss Brown is subdued, Madame Pomfrey says that the pain potion she gave her wasn't quite full strength, so her recover will be quite excruciating," his eyes twinkled, "you had best return to your Common Room. Gryffindors are brave, and you must face the stares and rumors head on, in order to set them straight before they take any hold."  
  
"Albus, don't you think perhaps a calm nights rest would be best?" Severus questioned.  
  
"I think Miss Prince would feel more comfortable with her familiar and her friends surrounding her. Besides, you won't be much company tomorrow. And I think Gryffindor house would be." Scarlett agreed. He'd be gone all day to be at the meeting. "Now, Miss Prince, I do wish we can sort this out... and Tyler's safety is in our best interest."  
  
"Thank you, sir. I... I really appreciate it," Scarlett admitted quietly. She was dismissed and she gave them all a small smile before walking quietly towards Gryffindor Common Room, the eyes of the portraits following her the entire way. But the castle had never felt so empty to her. The halls were silent except for her footsteps, and the walls were almost tower, pressing in on her from all sides.  
  
When she stood in front of the Fat Lady, the woman gave her a sympathetic smile. "Oh, dear, you've caused quite the tizzy inside."   
  
Scarlett bit her lip. "I know... Arcana."  
  
"Everything will be alright in the end," the Fat Friar promised, swinging open. The Common Room was nearly empty, and Scarlett was aware of the fact that it must be really late into the evening - perhaps well past curfew. When the portrait shut behind her, she exhaled, the smell of cinnemon and coconut greeting her - the scent that always clung to the many tapestries. She suspected the elves kept the place smelling fresh. Stepping further into the room, she jumped to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the couch. Ginny and Neville in the accompanying chairs. And then she spotted more of her friends - Dean and Seamus. Parvati, Cormac...   
  
"Well?" Harry pressed, standing up.  
  
She bit her lip, eyeing them all. "The staff is having a meeting tomorrow," she said quietly. "And... and depending on what the staff agrees... Blaise and I either stay, or go."  
  
"But they can't do that!" Ron exploded. "It wasn't your fault! I mean, it probably wasn't his either, if what the article said-"  
  
"No, it wasn't," Scarlett interrupted. She sighed. "Please, no shouting." She rubbed her face, as though it would make everything go away. "I just want to... to not think about possibly being expelled." She exhaled and dropped her hands, her fingers playing with each other as they all stared at her. Ron, while still purple faced, sat down.   
  
"It was Lavender," Ginny spoke up. "She found your journal under your mattress. Don't know what she did with them, but we couldn't find the pages... or the journal."  
  
"I... I gave it to Severus and Dumbledore, so they could figure out who it was from the magical signature." She moved towards where she had dropped her bag in her haste to try and find the journal. She slug it onto her shoulder and stared at them all. "Thanks, for staying up, but you didn't need to-"  
  
"What she did wasn't right," Seamus spoke up. "They were your secrets, not hers. She had no right to tell them to anyone... and if what you said is true... then your kids in danger."  
  
She swallowed at the tears in her eyes, glancing away from him, towards the fire. "We all know my father isn't the... the most innocent of men, but... but if the Dark Lord finds Tyler... if he can even use him against my father... it could mean my compliance for anything he wishes, too. And my father's - and I don't want Tyler brought into this war. He... he doesn't deserve that."  
  
"You're friends with Malfoy, after what he did to you?" Dean spoke up. "I mean... isn't that a little messed up?"  
  
"Draco didn't- He never hurt me," Scarlett insisted, glancing at all of them. They had to understand that. "Him and Narcissa were always kind towards me, civil... So my being friends with him is because... he's never been anything but friendly towards me."  
  
"I'm not okay with this," Ron warned her. "But if they can keep you safe when we're not with you, bloody hell, I guess that's okay. We don't have all of our classes with you."  
  
That meant a lot to her and she gave him a watery smile, "Thank you, Ron." She glanced towards the stairs, where her dorm lay.  
  
"Lavender's still in the Infirmary," Ginny smirked. "She may have broken a few of my knuckles with her hard face, but I think I did more damage to her than anything. Your dorm's safe."  
  
"You shouldn't have hit her," Scarlett giggled, the thick fabric wrapped around Ginny's palm showing her that the injury wasn't too severe. "But I do hope you got in a few good hits."  
  
"Well we couldn't bloody hit her," Harry muttered. "Guys can't hit girls."  
  
"And McGonagall just sort of stood there while Ginny kept hitting her, not really trying to stop it."  
  
"Merlin, how many hits did you get in?" Scarlett gasped.  
  
"I lost count after I broke her nose," Ginny shrugged.  
  
Scarlett rolled her eyes. "I should head up to bed..." She glanced around at the Gryffindors. "Thank you for staying up... It means a lot to me." Turning, she began to head towards the stairs, only making it up to the first turn when a hand grabbed her own, halting her.   
  
"You forgot these." Turning, surprised by the gentleness in his voice, she spotted two bags of Chocolate Milk Duds. "I... uh, thought you might want another bag, to cheer you up."  
  
She giggled, taking them from his outstretched hands. "Thank you... that's very kind of you... I'm sorry our Hogsmeade trip was ruined, Cormac..." She sighed quietly. "I was really having such a fun time until ... well, it all went downhill."  
  
"At least you know why they all were staring." He winced, as if realizing what he said. "Sorry, that probably didn't help."  
  
"Not really," she admitted. "Merlin, breakfast is going to be fantastic, isn't it?"  
  
"You could just eat it in the dorm," he suggested. "And lunch, and dinner-"  
  
"No," Scarlett said immediately. "Hiding will just make it worse."  
  
"Can we sit and talk? Uh, if you aren't tired. I mean, if you are, you can totally head up to bed and we can talk tomorrow... reading people's feelings isn't exactly my specialty."  
  
Scarlett laughed quietly. "Sitting and talking sounds great. I'm not really tired... and I think distracting myself is the best thing right now." He glanced towards the window aclove, large enough for both of them to sit in, and lean against the glass. So he flicked his wand and a blanket appeared at the bottom, cushioning the seat, and then he held out a hand for her, to grab so that she could climb up. It was quite a step up from the staircase.   
  
She settled in a corner, her knees tucked up and the chocolate and her bag resting beside her, before she glanced towards Cormac, who sat.   
  
"Well, I'll always remember the trip to Hogsmeade," she said wryly.  
  
"Great first date, right?" he said sarcastically.  
  
She snorted, but her tone was soft and sincere. "I did have a lot of fun. I didn't know there could be so much I haven't seen before, and it seems every turn is a new surprise here. I'm glad I went... I wouldn't have changed it."  
  
"Even if changing it would have meant the article wasn't published?"  
  
She hesitated. "The article would have been published regardless," Scarlett said quietly. "And while I hate that it's out, perhaps it's for the better... there are no more secrets." Well, some. "No more really important secrets anymore." Yet it was still a lie. She had met with the Dark Lord, spied for him. Was spying for him.   
  
"I think you're incredibly brave for what you survived there," Cormac said quietly. "I can see why you're a Gryffindor." She leaned against the window. "And I can see that you carry it with you, what you've seen and had done to you... but ... I think that you're more than that. You can't let it define you, because you aren't who you were at the beginning of the year. You're someone entirely different, you've found something within yourself that you couldn't see before."  
  
"That was really deep," she said softly.  
  
"It was, wasn't it? I think I should be a Hufflepuff."  
  
Scarlett giggled, glancing at him as he rested his head against the glass as well, watching her. "I think your bravery to sit in a group of people that aren't too fond of you, to wait up for me... well-"  
  
"You should have seen Ginny go," Cormac snorted. "I thought she was going to kill her."  
  
Scarlett laughed softly, her eyes flicking towards the night, watching the many stars twinkle in the sky. "Ginny does get a bit scary sometimes."  
  
"I'd imagine having lived with her, you're a bit immune."  
  
"Are you kidding?" Scarlett laughed. "If anything, it made it worse. When I woke her up this morning, asking her what I should wear, the glare she gave me made me swear I wasn't going to even live to make it to breakfast."  
  
Suddenly she felt something warm on her hand, and glanced down to see he had grasped it, and intertwined their fingers. "I'm glad you survived..." And Scarlett knew by the way he said it, the soft tone and the tightening of his fingers, that he didn't just mean Ginny's death glare, but all of it. The Manor, Crabbe and Goyle, Tyler... He was glad she had survived it all. That she was there. Scarlett was glad she survived too. Because it meant moments like this.


	30. Late Night Talks and Breakfast Beatings

"So, tomorrow you might be expelled?" he asked after a long moment of silence. Scarlett could hear her fellow Gryffindors in the Common Room, talking to each other, as if planning something.   
  
"I was told about your threat," Scarlett giggled. "Throwing someone off the tower... a bit extreme, don't you think?"  
  
"I think what Ginny did was a better alternative than ten yers in Azkaban," Cormac snorted. She agreed. "So... what happens if you are expelled?"  
  
"Well... it depends. The Weasley's couldn't support me ... I'd be unable to get a job without any proper education. I only have a few weeks of formal education. And no other school in their right mind would take me. I could go to the Muggle world, but I know even less about them than my own... and I still don't know where Tyler is." She shrugged. "I... I may have to go back to the Malfoys, if Dumbledore thinks I can do the most for the Order there."  
  
"But... what if they do something worse to you there?"  
  
She swallowed. "It's an option, I suppose."  
  
"Do you really think you'll be expelled?" Cormac asked.  
  
She shook her head. "Not ... not really, but there's still a chance, and ... the more I think about it, the bigger the chance - So I'm trying not to think about it, or I might start panicking."  
  
"Then, let's distract you... The answer is four."  
  
"What?" she murmured. His thumb began rubbing the top of her hand soothingly and she felt so tired all of the sudden.  
  
"I tried to bathe in four different flavored foods when I was eight. My mum threw a fit every time," Cormac continued. "Chocolate was the most heart felt attempt I made, and then spaghetti sauce - I thought if mum thought I was bleeding, she'd stay home from St. Mungo's that day so she could take me to a Quidditch game she said no to. It didn't work." Scarlett giggled, hesitantly resting her head on his shoulder, instead of the cold window and he didn't seem to mind her body weight on him. "The third was caramel. It didn't come out of the bath for weeks. The elves were so angry with me. They would spit in my food."  
  
"I can imagine."  
  
"And then my last attempt was as many noodles as I could find in the house. I wrestled a house elf for some spaghetti he was trying to make for dinner and ended up with a few burns from the water - Mum was too amused to be angry."  
  
"Your mum sounds lovely," Scarlett said quietly. "I'd imagine, though, she wasn't too happy at your attempts to make the bathtub a dessert platter."  
  
"Oh, absolutely not. She had dad ward the bathtub so I couldn't use it while she was away." Scarlett giggled. "And Mr. McFluffen."  
  
"What?" she whispered, amused beyond belief by the name.  
  
"Remember in Hogsmeade how I said we all have secrets?" he swallowed, as if admitted it was a great weight off of his chest. "My teddy bear when I was six was named Mr. McFluffen."  
  
"That's horrible," Scarlett countered. "Before it was taken from me, I had a teddy bear as well. I named it Emma. Which I think, looking back, was a very good name."  
  
"Emma? Why Emma?"  
  
Scarlett shrugged. "I never had a name, growing up. Not until mid-August of this year. I was always... girl, or Narcissa called me 'dear one.' So she'd tell me what names were popular in the world at that time, in the Muggle world, that is... and she gave me a bear, and I named it Emma. Because I wanted it to have a name."  
  
"They didn't call you by a name? So, how did you get Scarlett?"  
  
"The magical registry said my name was Scarlett Prince... Draco found it, in their library." She shrugged lightly, his thumb pausing mid-motion on her hand. "And that's how I found out I actually had a name."  
  
"That's horrible."  
  
She agreed, but didn't voice it. Her gaze traveled towards their hands, watching them entwined. She had never held hands with someone before, like this. She had grasped hands of someone, as they pulled her along, but this was different. It made her feel warm.   
  
He began to talk to her, his voice quiet as he murmured small little secrets about himself - secrets she didn't ask to know, but she knew what he was doing. Trying to distract her, think about something else, instead of her own secret exploitation. And it was working. He discussed what he saw in Turkey when he was six, at a bazaar, which was a man planting spiders in a bushel of vegetables, for a man he didn't like. And South Africa - he stole a piece of candy from a sweets shop. And India - he had gotten separated from his parents and had been terrified he would be lost forever in the bustling crowd. It was his first display of accidental magic.  
  
She didn't remember drifting off, but she remembered something draping across her nearly exposed legs - the shorts really didn't keep them warm - and the sound of harsh whispering, as though someone was fighting, before she was suddenly moving, falling to her side and then something caught her, making her grasp the blanket under her, sighing softly at its warmth and pull it closer. She drifted off once more, making no attempt to move.  
  
She gasped at the sound of something thudding, and was in unfamiliar surroundings. Her bed, in the dorm, and the curtains were still open. The sun shining through the window informed her that the morning was already there, and she had missed her morning training session in the Room of Requirements - an appointment that she only had with herself, but one she should go to regardless. Sitting up she noticed Leo was seated between her legs, fast asleep, and the thud had come from someone else in the room - Hermione.  
  
"I was worried you might never wake up," Hermione spoke up, giving her a small smile. "It's nearly eight. I was just about to wake you when I tripped over Romilda's mess."  
  
"Oh, thanks," Scarlett murmured. She pet Leo a few times, before sliding out of the bed, noting how she was in the clothes from last night, and she dug through her trunk, grabbing a few clothing items to change into.   
  
"You fell asleep on Cormac, last night," Hermione said, as though forcing her tone to be pleasant, but it was wrong, and Scarlett could sense the disapproval underneath. "Did you go to Hogsmeade with him?"  
  
"He asks me," Scarlett shrugged. "I said yes. We had fun, actually, before everything went sour... Um, thank you, for showing me the article - finding me. I... I wouldn't have known until probably dinner that night and... that would have been bad."  
  
"All of the houses are in an uproar about it, blaming each other."  
  
"That's funny, because Severus told me that Draco and Blaise were threatening their own house, to try and figure out who did it."  
  
"The only people that know it was Lavender are the people that were in the Common Room when you got back," Hermione said carefully. "We agreed to keep it quiet, but we told Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore. We didn't think it'd be a good thing for her safety if we blabbed to everyone. They all think Ginny beat her up because of what she said to you."  
  
"Good," Scarlett said immediately. "Word can't get out she did it, do you understand?" Scarlett pressed. She glanced around, noticing that the dorm was empty.  
  
"They've gone to breakfast," Hermione said, explaining. "Why can't-"  
  
"The Dark Lord wants to know who," Scarlett said quickly, interrupting her. "And... that means if he knows it was Lavender, he'll go after Lavender..." Hermione understood. "Do you know anything about Rita Skeeter? I know she wrote the article-"  
  
Hermione snorted. "She's a horrible woman. She's an unregistered animagus, and her form is a beetle with these glasses as her markings... anyway, all during the Tri-Wizard tournment she would sneak around school as a bug and report on things she saw, hidden in the corners of rooms or something. Completely illegal. Well, we found out and I had her trapped in a jar for a majority of the year, until she learned to behave, but... I guess not." Hermione swallowed. "I'm sorry, Scarlett, for how mean to you I've been. I was just worried, but... I suppose Ron's right. Draco and Blaise seem to care about you and they're good protection - far more intimidating than Ron can be, I'll tell you that. And... I don't like Cormac, I don't think it's a good idea, but... but he was worried about you. He came back after you had left the Common Room, and walked in on Ginny absolutely pummeling Lavender-" Scarlett giggled. Everyone seemed so proud of Ginny for the feat. "And it kind of clicked, I think... He called her pathetic and she ran crying all the way to the Infirmary and then McGonagall cleared out the Common Room, except for the people you saw last night and explained a few things about the article to your friends, so that they wouldn't jump to conclusions - I guess Snape had a bit of a say in what she said. A few of it was worded like something he'd say."  
  
"It was... the damage control we had to do was pretty serious," Scarlett said quietly. "It was a secret for a reason. We were trying to find him, so that the Dark Lord couldn't. And then we would release the information, if we had to... but now, well..."  
  
"We sort of figured," Hermione said quietly. "After she finished talking, pretty much everyone started to argue that you couldn't be expelled. And there's absolutely no reason they can expel you, Scarlett. I've read the rules."   
  
"It's up to the professors," Scarlett shrugged. "I have no control over it."   
  
"Anyway, my point was... after Cormac got the whole story, well... he was pretty quiet. Like, angry quiet. Not at you, but at the Malfoys, at everything. And McGonagall even explained how you were friends with Narcissa and Draco, but, and I sort of agree, they think being friends with Draco is brainwash-"  
  
"It's not," Scarlett insisted. "He's a good friend. He's just like any one of you, just a little arrogant sometimes."  
  
"I know," Hermione agreed. "I could hear your conversation with him in Arithmancy... You're happy around them... Happier than you've been around us, anyway. And I'm sorry for that. It's partially my fault. We trust you, Scarlett, we really do... but... it's really difficult to trust them."  
  
"I know," Scarlett admitted. "But..." She waited until Hermione turned her back to her before changing into a nice sweater and a pair of jeans. "I trust them. And I know they wouldn't hurt me..." She sighed. "And even if you don't like it, I'm not going to stop being friends with them, Cormac either."  
  
"If you think you know what you're doing... then do it, but we aren't going to be happy about it," Hermione warned. "So, if we get angry about it, don't take it personally, we just... haven't had the greatest history with them. And... we're Gryffindors. We don't look past that."  
  
"So, ignore you if you start to get mad at me," Scarlett summed up, smiling as Hermione turned back around. "I can do that."  
  
She laughed quietly, giving Scarlett a hairtie. "I'll braid your hair before we go to breakfast... You're sure you want to go to breakfast?"  
  
"Yes," Scarlett said quietly. "I don't want to waste a moment in the castle, if I'm kicked out."  
  
"Alright... but if you need to leave-"  
  
"I know."  
  
With her hair braided into a simple braid down the back, Scarlett slid her shoes on, kissed Leo on the head, and grabbed her wand, shoving it into her pocket, and then following Hermione down the stairs to a semi-full Common Room.   
  
They all stared at her, silent, and Scarlett took a deep breath, straightening her shoulders. Blaise didn't waste two nights a week in order for her to whimper and cower at their gazes. She followed Hermione, Ron and Harry standing up to join her at the portrait.   
  
Then they were walking, heading down the stairs with every intent on a good breakfast. But Scarlett knew it would be a rough one. And a rough breakfast was always hard to swallow.  
  
She noticed, immediately, that something was different. The entire Head Table was empty, and to ensure order, Mr. Filch and a few men dressed in Auror outfits were standing around the hall, up against the walls, watching the students.   
  
"They've been here since dawn, I heard," Hermione informed Scarlett. "They're to make sure no one starts fighting while the staff is in their meeting."  
  
"Oh." She glanced towards the Slytherin table, seeing Blaise and Draco in their usual seats, and they glanced at her when she entered, as did pretty much everyone. "Great," Scarlett muttered. She took a very deliberate deep breath, that they could see, and strode forward until she was at her normal seat, beside Neville and Seamus and they grinned when they saw her.  
  
"You missed the fight between Goyle and Zabini," Seamus told her. "As soon as Goyle walked in. Bloody brilliant."  
  
"What?" she whispered, still noticing people staring. She glanced towards Blaise again, to see that his clothing was a bit ruffled, but he appeared unharmed.   
  
"Oh, yeah, grabbed onto Zabini, and he's pretty much a twig, ya know?" Seamus grinned. "Anyway, pulled him out of his seat and aimed a punch at him. Don't know what it was about but I'd imagine Slytherin got a bit tense yesterday, too. And Zabini knocked him out with a single punch to the jaw. It was bloody amazing."  
  
She snorted. "Goyle deserved that and more, but I imagine the Aurors weren't happy?"  
  
"They just dragged Goyle away to the Infirmary. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if they just left him in the hall. They came back pretty fast." Scarlett raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Seamus winked at her. "So... if anyone attacks you, I've got you covered."  
  
"I think I could handle it," Scarlett admitted. "I've learned how to deal a mean punch."  
  
"Oh? Please tell me you've punched Malfoy at least once. Then you'd have Granger shoved aside completely-"  
  
"No!" she giggled. "But I have punched Crabbe and Goyle before."  
  
"I sure hope this story is worth hearing," Neville muttered. "Because I think Crabbe might have the same idea as Goyle, but this time for you."  
  
Indeed, Crabbe was approaching her and she sighed, waiting for him to get up to her. "If I punch him, do you think my chances of being expelled would triple?" she asked casually.  
  
It was a tad louder than she wanted it and a few Gryffindors glanced at her in surprise, some even laughing a bit as she flushed slightly. Eyes were following Crabbe, as if waiting to see what would happen. The Aurors looked ready to intervene.   
  
When he was three steps away, she turned, one foot out of the bench, the other under the table. One step, he reached for her just as the first Auror grabbed his wand. Her training with Severus kicked in and she rose, grabbing the hand that had grabbed at her, twisting it so that his back was now facing her and she kicked hard at his tailbone, sending him face first into the stone floor, causing a crack to sound - no doubt his nose.   
  
"You bloody bitch!" Crabbe shouted, pulling himself to his feet as he turned, heavy blood flow pouring from his nose. He reached for her again, his hand covered in blood and she side stepped it, shoving him once more so that he landed sprawled on the floor.   
  
"I think you're looking particularly bloody," she pointed out as more people roared with laughter. "I've learned a few things since the Manor. Kicking your arse is one of them." The Auror seemed to think it was a good time to intervene, before Crabbe attempted it a third time and Scarlett happily sat in her seat. "Bloody hell, that felt good."  
  
"Where did you learn that?"  
  
"I..." She shrugged, uncomfortably. They couldn't know about Severus. "Well, I picked up a few things over the years... and this summer-"  
  
"I taught her a few things, you know, just in case some idiot like Crabbe got ahold of her," Harry interrupted. She glanced at him, in surprise, but also in gratitude. He ddin't seem bothered taking the blame for her fighting skills. "Taught her how to use their strength and size against them."  
  
"Did I ever tell you when you fight back it's bloody hot?" Seamus asked her.  
  
Scarlett flushed. "Yes, you did."  
  
A swooping of owls caused many papers to fall on the tables and one fell on her plate, which she supposed was either Neville or Seamus's. Seamus took it, flipping it open and his eyes widened. "Bloody hell!" He gathered the attention of everyone and Scarlett peeked over his shoulder to see Lucius Malfoy's face as he spoke to a crowd of press. "Lucius Malfoy's made a statement."  
  
"Read it," Scarlett requested.  
  
"Lucius Malfoy, 45, has responded to the recent accusations against him and his family regarding the tale we printed yesterday about Scarlett Prince... goes on to summarize what the article said... Here we go. Lucius Malfoy stated early this morning during a Press Conference held at the Ministry the following: The accusations spoken about are true. For six years Miss Prince was treated as a normal child under the Malfoy name, until her sixth birthday, when she was branded with a mark of servitude, much like my father before me had done to numerous Muggles. At the time, we were unaware of if Scarlett had any magical blood, and the reason for her branding was that by the age of six, she still showed no signs of any magic. The way we treated her was unkind, and the Malfoy family takes full responsibility for any and all repercussions." Wow. "However, I would like to make it clear that neither myself, nor my son, ever touched Scarlett in an untoward manner. The Malfoy family will put three million galleons towards the search for Tyler Zabini in an effort to make the past right. She was tortured under the roof of my house, she was raped under the roof of my home, and she was forced to witness acts a girl her age should never have been asked to witness. The Malfoy family requests that you leave Miss Prince alone on the matter, as it is a private concern and she is still a student." Seamus whistled. "And then they just go on to list his charges for his trial in a few weeks- Hey, three million galleons, that's great! You'll find him in no time-"  
  
"Who do the Malfoy's gussy up to?" Hermione interrupted Seamus.   
  
"Oh," he said after a moment. "Well... that's not good, then."  
  
"Can I borrow that?" Scarlett asked faintly.  
  
"Yeah, knock yourself out. The rest is rubbish anyway."   
  
She rose fluidly. Scarlett's footsteps were quick as she walked over to the Slytherin table and she pressed the Prophet between both Blaise and Draco, leaning between them. "Have you seen this?" she questioned.  
  
"We don't get the Prophet," Blaise supplied. "None of the upper class Slytherin's do... sort of a joke, really-"  
  
"Yeah, well, I would read this," Scarlett interrupted, unfolding it so that Lucius Malfoy was staring at hem.  
  
"What?" Draco yelped, seizing it from her and reading it quickly. "But... but why would he loan three million-"  
  
"The Dark Lord wants Tyler," she muttered to him, not wanting to be overheard. "And at the meeting last night, he's coercing your family into funding it all." She glanced at Blaise. "We have less time to find him."  
  
"What has Snape said?"  
  
"I haven't had a chance to talk about it," Scarlett admitted. "I think it's time we got a little help in searching. What do you say?"  
  
"You're not thinking of pulling in Potter and Granger, are you?"  
  
"It's the best we've got," Scarlett countered. "More than two heads is better than two heads and a potion."  
  
"Fine, but Draco's in, too."  
  
"I'll ask around my friends, see if anyone's interested. Every Sunday evening after dinner sound alright to you? Room of Requirement?"  
  
"Bloody hell, are you expecting me to be nice to Gryffindors?" Draco questioned, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"I'll do eighty percent of our Arithmancy projects if you do," Scarlett countered.  
  
"Bloody hell, where did you learn how to bargain?" he muttered. "Fine. But if they say one word-"  
  
"Right, got it. And when you're looking for the Room, think Scarlett's training room. It'll let you in."  
  
"Got it," Blaise nodded. He passed the paper back to her, and he grabbed Scarlett's wrist before she got a chance to leave. "I didn't get a chance to see you yesterday, but... we'll get to the bottom of this."  
  
"Already working on it," she grinned. When she got back to Gryffindor table, Seamus's jaw had dropped and he was staring at her in disbelief.  
  
"Did you just corrupt my newspaper with Slytherin germs?"  
  
"I thought it was all rubbish, Seamus?" she smiled. She leaned forward, gaining Harry and Hermione's attention. "Look, tonight, in the Room of Requirements, I'm going to be doing a little research on how to find him. And if you want to help, I would really appreciate it-"  
  
"Of course!" Hermione insisted. "We'll be there. What time?"  
  
"Any time after dinner."  
  
"And we'll have loads of time, since they cancelled our Astronomy class tonight - they think students might be a bit over-excited with the decision about your expulsion," Hermione admitted.   
  
"Well, how many heads do you need? Because I'd like to help search," Seamus offered. "I mean, I don't got much to offer, but I make things blow up in pretty much every class. So I can help if it requires making a plan to blow something up."  
  
"I'll look in some herbology books I've got," Neville offered. "There's bound to be a plant that'll do some good - maybe a potion or something."  
  
"The more heads the better," Scarlett admitted. "So, to get in, go to the Room of Requirement and think Scarlett's training place. I think I'm going to eat dinner in there, to get some preliminal research out of the way."  
  
"If you're sure?"  
  
Scarlett nodded, pouring herself some more pumpkin juice and reaching for the French toast. She was starving. Overall, breakfast, she surmised, wasn't... that unbearable. Talking amongst her friends, she almost forgot about all of the people whispering, and the glare of Lavender Brown a few yards away, as she sported a dark purple bruise on the left side of her face. That had to have hurt.


	31. Announcements

She didn't know when the announcement would be made, but she didn't want to be there for it. So, she gathered her Healing assignment, as she had promised it to Madame Pomfrey, and decided to blow off some of the worry that was plaguing her since the night before in the Room of Requirement. She had plenty of time until dinner even began, so... she doubted it would be a problem.  
  
"Hey, Ginny," Scarlett said casually to the red-head writing an essay frantically.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'm going to Madame Pomfrey and then the Room of Requirement... I'll eat dinner there."  
  
"Alright, if you're sure. Have fun," Ginny said absently, not really paying attention. Scarlett rolled her eyes, knowing that the essay was no doubt last minute and for Defense. Her father always liked to sign length assignments for the weekend. Scarlett walked quietly, her fingers playing with the strap of her bag, as she approached the Infirmary.   
  
She didn't think Crabbe and Goyle would still be there - afterall, it was just after lunch, but she could never be too careful, so she made sure her wand was ready to be extracted at a moment's notice.   
  
But the Infirmary was just as empty as the castle seemed to be and she walked towards Madame Pomfrey's door, feeling the door's wards welcome her and she placed the roll of parchment on the desk, before turning and shutting the office door on her way out.   
  
The walk to the Room of Requirement was a long one, which meant Scarlett was left to her thoughts - which was something she tried not to do. Especially after everything that happened. She kept her chin up, but her mind raced of all of the boggarts she had seen in the last few weeks, of Tyler's body.   
  
Would they be how they found him? Was he even still alive? Nearly two months was a long time for a life status to change - especially since death only needed a split second to take hold.   
  
The Seventh floor was just as barren as everywhere else she had been, and she stood in front of the blank wall, staring at it for only a moment before she began to pace back and forth, her head the entire time repeating the phrase - Scarlett's training room. It only took three lengths of the wall before it granted a small door, wooden, much like the one in Malfoy Manor.   
  
When she stepped inside, it was almost an exact replica of the cell, except instead of a small cot and a chair, there was a dummy, padded, with only a torso and a head. She shut the door shut behind her, casting her bag to the side and pulled off the swater and jeans she had on, revealing a tank top and shorts - her usual private training attire. The shorts were tight, form fitting, and the tank top equally as so.  
  
The cell wasn't unbearably cold, like the one at Malfoy Manor, but instead gave a soft glow of warmth to her, and the size was nearly triple, giving her plenty of space to spar and not possibly hit the wall. She cast a circle with her wand, making sure the dummy was inside, and then stepped into it before casting another spell at the dummy, bringing it to life, arms growing out of its sides and the wheels it was able to move with, moving it around the circle.   
  
She attacked, the bot hitting her back if it had the chance, but nothing to leave much harm with. She grunted with the force of her falls, the hard floor not quite comfortable to land on, but she held up a hand and the dummy pulled her to her feet, before it began to attack her once more.   
  
The Room of Requirement was truly remarkable magic. She enjoyed it so much. One morning, she had just sat in the middle of its depths and closed her eyes, testing its bounds to exactly what it could acquire. There was a walled in field, with sunlight shining brightly as she layed in the grass. There was a room of so many different things that it stretched on for miles and miles, piles of things building. There was a room of aquatic life, behind tanks, swimming as the food chain lived out. There was a room full of birds - of owls and all of where she suspected Hogwarts mice either disappeared to or came from. And then there was a room full of mirrors, which she suspected was either a dance studio or a duelling chamber.   
  
But its ability to mimic her cell exactly astounded her the most. At first it had mimicked the cold, but when she requested it to be warm.. it was warm. She sometimes didn't train, just sitting in there, imagining what her life would be like in that moment if she wasn't at Hogwarts, and instead was still serving under Lucius Malfoy. Would the Dark Lord have found her eventually? Would she have even lived?  
  
She doubted so.   
  
She knew she trained for hours, longer than she had ever pushed her body to train before, but she kept pushing, because she knew that it would only make her stronger, only make her better, and only make her faster. She needed to be all three.   
  
She knew her chances of surviving the war were slim... She wanted the chances to be the greatest one she had. She had begun to value her life too much.   
  
So, she lost track of time, knowing the bell for dinner would sound and she'd be alerted to the fact that her friends would probably arrive soon, but her mind kept thinking of the thought of where she didn't want to be disturbed until they arrived. And so, she didn't even think the walls would block all sounds of the clock.  
  
The dummy helped her up as the wind was knocked out of her and she only took a gasping breath before she attacked it, ducking out of the way from one of its punches, and sidestepping it as another punch was aimed towards her. It caused her foot to slide out of the line and she froze slightly.  
  
"Crap," she hissed. She had charmed it so that whenever she stepped out of the line a loud buzzard would sound, effectively giving her a heart attack every time, and the dummy would only hit harder. It was an incentive to not step out of the circle. She needed to learn how to control her movements. To keep her space small.   
  
The dummy went absolutely wild and she ducked out of its way yet again, landing a few good punches to its side before she stepped back, to the extra space, breathing heavily as it came towards her. Merlin, she loved this so much. The fighting. It exhilerated her. Even though she wasn't much of a fighter - she only liked fighting when it was either between her and Severus or her alone - for learning purposes, she loved sparring. She loved being able to dodge and not worry about making anyone angry.  
  
"Come on, come on," Scarlett murmured, almost dancing on her toes as she waited for it to make a move, but it was biding its time. "Come on!" she cried at it. And it reacted. She grabbed the arm, doing something much like she had with Crabbe earlier that morning, and toppled it, causing it to burst into pieces as soon as it landed on the ground.   
  
A gasp made her spin around, stumbling slightly, her hair sticking to her chin from her sweat - leaving the braid in her spar. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were standing in the front, Seamus, Neville and Ginny behind them. "Oh, uh..." Scarlett murmured awkwardly, and then she spotted Cormac, in the very back, looking a tad concerned. "Hi?" She adjusted the tank top, and was about to approach them, to grab her sweater, when the door opened again and Blaise strode through, not even giving the Gryffindor's a glance. He almost expertly reached into her bag and threw a sweater and towel towards her, her wand following.  
  
"They act like they've never seen you train," Blaise snorted. He had a book in his hands, and Scarlett recognized it as her journal.   
  
"That's because they haven't," Scarlett admitted. She threw on her sweater, using the towel to wipe at her face and the sweat on her arms and legs. A table had appeared in the middle of the room, with a chair - much like what was in the library, and Blaise sat at it, leaning backwards and kicking his feet up. A wave of Scarlett's wand and the pieces of the dummy disappeared, to wherever the Room would take it, and she closed her eyes, feeling the room shrink in size until it was what she remembered at the Manor, and to make it more cozy, she imagined a few couches and tables to work on. She also requested three bottles of Firewhiskey.  
  
"Nice touch," Blaise commented.  
  
"Knew you'd like it," she countered. "Uh, come in. You don't have to stand there like a fish out of water, you know... Though I don't know what that looks like, but I heard a first year say that expression to his friend and I thought it was rather funny." She gave them a bright smile. "Uh, sorry you saw that. I get a little into it."  
  
"Is she decent?" another voice chimed, and the door opened again to reveal Draco Malfoy, a cocky smirk on his face as Harry turned around, his wand out. "Because I don't think I'll be able to focus on helping with a half-" Scarlett's glare made him immediately stop talking. "Er, right." She smiled sweetly and joined Blaise.   
  
"Right, sorry, but why are you all here so early? Dinner hasn't even started yet-"  
  
"It's five thirty," Harry said slowly. "Uh... what was that?"  
  
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Scarlett grinned. "This room does absolutely everything! All it took was a few spells to make it come to life and -" She bit her lip, gesturing around them. "It really helps with all the stress and worry and everything I've had these past few weeks. And Severus thinks it would be a good idea if I could protect myself from Crabbe and Goyle."  
  
"I think we all think it's a good idea," Draco pipped up, taking a bottle of Firewhiskey off the table and conjuring ten glasses. He began pouring. "With the way they sent you to the Hospital Wing-"  
  
"Draco!" Scarlett hissed.  
  
"Wait, what?" Ron cried. "When was this?"  
  
"When her hair was that awful shade of blue," Blaise smirked. "You didn't tell them?"  
  
"They didn't need to know," Scarlett insisted. "It was fine. Severus handled it, you two handled it-"  
  
"Handled what?"  
  
"Goyle tried to rape her in the middle of the dungeon," Draco snorted. "It sure was fine. Gave her a nasty concussion, but I think we did more damage to Goyle than he did to her."  
  
Scarlett groaned at the look on her friend's faces. "I hate all of you."  
  
"No, you don't," Blaise countered. "So, are the lions going to actually sit down, or are we all going to stand around in the cell and act like we're all on the same team?"  
  
"We are on the same team, Zabini," Ginny countered. "We're trying to help you and Scarlett find Tyler before the bloody snake face does." She strode purposefully towards the couches, sitting in the middle of the one with Draco and Blaise, much to their surprise, and Scarlett detected a bit of amusement as well. She grabbed a glass of Firewhiskey and drank it. "We're going to need this to get along."  
  
Slowly, they began to trickle towards the couches, Cormac slightly more hesitant, as he didn't have any friends amongst the group. Scarlett sat with him on the last couch, closing her eyes and causing quite a few books to appear.   
  
"So... what is this room?" Neville asked. "It's a bit... small."  
  
"This is my room," Scarlett said brightly. "This is home."  
  
Draco snorted. "Not quite as cozy, I assure you."  
  
"Also, it's much colder," Scarlett continued, "but... this is home."  
  
"Bloody hell, this is what you lived in?" Ron cried.  
  
"Of course. I thought you would have realized when you saw the door that appeared," Scarlett said slowly. "It was a cellar door." She shrugged, glancing around as she leaned back into the comfy sofa. "Of course, this room is a bit bigger than my old one, but we wouldn't be able to fit in-"  
  
"Can you show us your old one?" Hermione interrupted. "Exactly as it was?"  
  
Scarlett hesitated. "I don't know if you'd like it... It's not much."  
  
"They aren't going to stop pestering," Draco muttered. "Show them the room and then can we get to the bloody firewhiskey because I'm feeling like a minority here. And that's not something I take lightly."  
  
"Not only you," Cormac muttered.  
  
"Fine," Scarlett said simply, standing. "But you'll have to stand too. We won't be able to fit all of the furniture." Her eyes closed, and she sucked in a deep breath, before exhaling slowly and as she did so, the room temperature dropped and she heard the furniture pop out of existance. And then there was the howling wind and she heard someone trip as the cot appeared, with the many holes and a replica of her baby blanket. And then the chair thudded into existance, a few of her dresses and aprons on the back of it. And the pewter tray, complete with a slice of turkey, water, and an apple. Scarlett opened her eyes. "This is home."  
  
"Bloody hell, it's freezing!" Ron cried.  
  
"Er, yeah, that was the point, Weasley," Draco said slowly. "Abraxus had all of the cells charmed to stay this temperature year round. A nice and healthy thirty two degrees fahrenheit."  
  
"But that's freezing point!" Hermione insisted. "She would have died being here all the time!"  
  
"Oh, I wasn't," Scarlett shrugged. "I was always either cleaning the halls, in the kitchen, cleaning that dreadful ballroom." She giggled as she fell onto the cot, sneezing as a plum of dust rose. "I was only in here for a little while. And it wasn't so bad... You get used to the cold after a while."  
  
"Doesn't... being here bother you?" Cormac spoke up, clearing his throat. "Like... bring back bad memories?"  
  
"No," Scarlett admitted. "It's... well, it's hard to explain. I like when the Room turns into this. It's comforting. Familiar." Her fingers ran along the walls, tracing the cracks in the cement blocks. "Like I said, this is home."   
  
"And every night, you'd sleep on there?"  
  
"Mmhmm," Scarlett agreed. "The drainage window over here has a nice view of the garden, and the chair was where my meals would be every morning, and a note that would tell me what I needed to do that day, in addition to my normal chores."  
  
"But you couldn't read," Ginny said faintly.  
  
"Oh, no, it would speak to me," Scarlett admitted.  
  
"And... that was a meal?" Neville echoed, almost white.   
  
"Oh, yeah," Scarlett smiled. "A slice of turkey, a cup of water, and an apple. Every morning."  
  
"She usually hid the apple in her apron for lunch," Draco commented. His eyes surveyed the room. "Huh, I feel like I'm back in the Manor. It's kind of... weird."  
  
"That's all the food you were given for the entire day?" Hermione demanded.  
  
Scarlett bit her lip, trying to figure out the best way to answer, and be truthful, but not make her mad. "Uh.... sort of?"  
  
"You starved her!" Hermione accused of Draco.  
  
"Wait!" Scarlett said quickly, getting off the cot and turning the room back into the cozy place they had all been seated in before. "No, he didn't. He wasn't in charge of my meals. Lucius was. And those meals usually weren't all I ate. Sometimes the elves would sneak me left overs from the dinner fare. So, I certainly didn't starve," Scarlett explained. "Anyway, that's not why we're here. We're wasting time. And the more time we waste on discussing my room, the less time we're spending finding Tyler."  
  
"Right," Blaise agreed, sitting and grabbing a glass of Firewhiskey. "So, I talked to Snape. The Potion is in the process of brewing. But, like you said, it'll take three months, giving us until Christmas-break, really," Blaise shrugged. He drank the glass in one go, before thrusting her journal at her. "Also, just so you know, we're not expelled."  
  
She sighed in relief. "Thank Merlin. I was so worried."  
  
"Is that why you didn't go to dinner?" Draco snorted. "I thought it was so you could beat the shit out of the bean bag."  
  
"Well, both," Scarlett admitted. "Hey, Dobby?" The elf appeared so suddenly, that a lot of people jumped at its sudden arrival.  
  
"Missy!" Dobby greeted. "What can Dobby do for Missy? And her friends! Oh, Mr. Potter!"  
  
"I was wondering if you could bring us a few snacks from the kitchen, please? I'm going to be here a while at least, and I still haven't eaten dinner."  
  
Dobby's blue eyes widened to impossible width and he nodded eagerly. "Of course! Dobby will bring Missy's favorites and her friend's favorites!"  
  
He was gone with a pop and Scarlett rolled her eyes, sitting down once more and glancing to Blaise and Draco. "So, the potions underway. Did he have any other ideas? Any hints to anything?"  
  
"No," Blaise admitted. "But he does say that there's bound to be something that'll work - and if not, you'd come up with a spell or something to find him. He seems to think you're already searching."  
  
She groaned. "Oh, no, I missed my lesson with the Grey Lady. She's probably so angry!"  
  
"That's why you're learning Latin?" Harry asked.  
  
"It won't hurt," Scarlett insisted. She flipped open her journal, her eyes skimming the few pages that had caused such a big problem. "I keep reviewing the memory, of the night he was taken. I can't get any inkling of what happened. Lucius says nothing about it - about where he took Tyler."  
  
"That can't be good for you, watching the memory over and over again," Draco muttered. "You sure you don't need Firewhiskey?"  
  
"The less the memory affects me, the less hold it will have if the Dark Lord finds it," Scarlett said quietly. "I go over it every morning. I even tried doing Legimency on him, on what he was thinking in the memory, but it's so difficult to do, and with no active mind, I'm unable to get much - only that he's thinking about Tyler, about the cold, and about apparating as quickly away as he can without taking me with him."  
  
Seamus raised his eyebrows. "So you think he took Tyler somewhere cold?"  
  
"That's... that's possible. But it was in the middle of December. Everywhere would have been cold," Scarlett admitted.   
  
"Yeah, but there's London winter and then there's Scotland winter. I mean, what, the Malfoys live in Wiltshire, right?" Seamus asked. Draco gave a single nod. "So.. that's pretty much like London summer. It wouldn't have been that cold. So, he had to have taken Tyler someplace north-"  
  
"There was no hints on why he was taking Tyler?" Harry asked quietly. "Not even just actually stating that he was selling him to someone or something?"  
  
Scarlett swallowed. "He... He claimed, when he took Tyler, that he was going to use him in the resurrection for the Dark Lord."  
  
Harry's eyes widened. "But-but there was no baby there. I mean, I was there," Harry insisted. Scarlett's eyes widened, and she leaned forward. "He needed me, the bone of his father, Wormtail's arm, and a boiling cauldron. No baby was there or anything - and that was in mid-May, during the TriWizard Tournament, so... Tyler couldn't have been there. That would have left a full ... what? Five months of space?"  
  
"And you said that Lucius Malfoy arrived after he was called," Cormac spoke up. People turned to him in surprise. "What? I've heard the story. So, if Malfoy needed him to resurrect the Dark Lord, it wouldn't have been there. And Malfoy would have already been there-"  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, can we clarify?" Draco input casually. "Because I am also a Malfoy."  
  
"Yes, we're well aware," Seamus said stiffly.  
  
Ginny giggled. "Yes, we are. So, what you guys are saying is that Tyler wasn't in that position at all. He was... taken somewhere else."  
  
"Possibly to a shelter," Hermione spoke up. "A home? A church? An adoption center?"  
  
"So, he's safe then?" Ron asked. "That's what we're getting at. Because, just as easily, he could have been taken someplace not as fun, like a friend of the Malfoys, the whole human traffick ring - what, don't look at me like that, 'Mione, I read those bloody Muggle papers you leave around the Burrow." He glanced at everyone. "So... where do we start?"  
  
"We start with records," Blaise said and a few towers of books disappeared and a pile of books appeared amongst the firewhiskey bottles. "And Draco, you look in the book of registery, see if you can find him. He's bound to be in there - doesn't it keep a current address for Hogwarts?"  
  
"But what if he doesn't have magic?" Cormac spoke up. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I think we're all hoping for the best, here, but under the conditions in which he lived for what..?"  
  
"A year," Scarlett said quietly.  
  
"So, almost two years, including the nine months she was pregnant with him, adverse conditions sometimes spend all the magic in a magical kid, trying to just keep the child alive," Cormac explained. "And nine months of living off of her eating just that meal we saw - on a pewter tray, no less - and a further year eating Merlin knows what nutrients from her-"  
  
"No, wait, after I found out I was pregnant, Narcissa changed my diet," Scarlett spoke up, in defense of the family. "It was on a ceramic plate, and three full meals a day. Lucius was okay with it, as long as I understood that once the child was no longer dependent on me, the meals would go back to what they were before. Of course, I was perfectly okay with that, as long as Tyler was healthy- But he was taken shortly after his dependency left. He was a year, meaning he was old enough to crawl and sit up on his own, and everything... so he didn't need me anymore to live-"  
  
"So, you think he does have magic?"  
  
"It's possible," Scarlett said quietly. "But, it's also unlikely, at the same time. It wouldn't hurt to check the registry, but we'll need to look at Muggle reports - maybe anything relating to a found child in the winter of 1994-1995. We won't get much access, but to police reports, or adoption reports."  
  
Another pile of things appeared, and appeared on the table, knocking over a few firewhiskeys.   
  
"If sold, all monetary transactions are filed at Gringotts." Blaise glanced at Draco. "That would be all you, mate. You have access to your deposit list."  
  
"Dad's going to kill me," Draco muttered before snatching a book off of the table. The registry. She recognized it from when they searched for her.  
  
"What if he has the same thing, as I did?" Scarlett questioned. Her and Draco's eyes met. "Check everything that even looks like Tyler or Zabini. Or Snape. Or Prince. Or whatever Blaise's mother's maiden name is-"  
  
"Macnair," Blaise supplied.   
  
"August fourth, 1994," Scarlett said firmly. "Possibly August 5th. It might have been just past midnight."  
  
"How was your name?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Either while I was still in the womb, or just as I was born, my mother cast a charm so that no other records but Scarlett Liliana would appear, and the last name Prince. And my birthday. No other names or anything else was present, not even an address-"  
  
"So she essentially erased the trace," Cormac said. "Yeah, people do that a lot, when kids are born out of wedlock- er, not that you were or anything. Just, a general thing. They try to erase themselves from the child so that if their marriage doesn't work, they can check the registry and see that they truly don't have any children - and they're granted a marriage."  
  
"So, check any name that doesn't have parents, too," Blaise supplied to Draco.  
  
"I can hear, Blaise," Draco snapped. So they each grabbed a book and began, searching through the records, through the many, many names of Muggles, until their eyes burned and the snacks Dobby had brought were mere crumbs. Two bottles of firewhiskey had been devoured amongst them, and another lay open on the table, inviting them to take more.  
  
"Bloody hell, it's past curfew," Ron muttered as he glanced at his watch. "I think it's best we head back."   
  
"Can't this bloody place make secret passages so we don't get detention?" Seamus asked.  
  
"All you have to do is think about a passage, and a passage appears," Scarlett laughed quietly. "You guys go ahead, I'm going to stay here and search for a while. I'll be back by midnight, I promise."  
  
"Er, if you're sure."  
  
She nodded and as people passed her, she felt Blaise pat her on the head. "We'll find him," he promised quietly.  
  
"I know," she responded. Because she did know. If anything, the session they had that night had made that faith strong in her. They were getting somewhere. And with multiple heads behind it, they would get to it quicker. They would find him faster. Cormac got up to leave, leaving her alone and when she heard the passage door shut she picked up a few books, closing her eyes and making the room shrink into the comforting cell, only warm. She sat quietly on the cot, her legs tucked under her, and she resumed her reading, her fingers running along each page as she tried to identify anything resembling Tyler.  
  
"You really like this place, huh?"   
  
Scarlett jumped, surprised someone was still there. "I really need to learn how to detect when people are in the same room as me," Scarlett said wryly. She glanced at the cell, shrugging. "It's so ... bare. It helps me think."  
  
He lifted the tray off of the chair, setting it on the ground, before wiping his hands on his pants, as if trying to get the toxic pewter off. "You look happy, here."  
  
"I am happy here," Scarlett smiled. "I know this isn't the Manor. This is Hogwarts, and... Hogwarts is my home now. I think it's a lot of people's homes, but ... I'm willing to share."  
  
He chuckled, leaning on the chair with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Yeah..." He looked her over worriedly. "You're okay, right?"  
  
"Of course," she answered with a giggle. "Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
"With everything that's been going on, you seem... to take it very well." He shook his head. "I couldn't do it, if I was in your situation. Just reading about it and hearing the way you talk about it makes my head spin."  
  
She bit her lip, "If you don't want to-"  
  
"No, that's not what I meant. I just mean... you must do like... yoga or something, or take a shitload of calming draughts because..." He shook his head in disbelief. "It's amazing how calm you are."  
  
"I beat up charmed dummies so that I don't freak out," she giggled. "That's my secret."  
  
He gave her yet another charming smile, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "Pretty shocking secret. I mean, we all saw what you did to Crabbe this morning, but... I thought it might have been some liquid luck or something."  
  
She supposed it might have looked that way. Biting her lip, she noticed how his posture was slightly tense, and he looked nervous, yet again. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I, uh, just wanted to talk to you."  
  
"Okay, well..." She cast the book aside, giving him her full attention. "What is it?" She gathered her knees to her chest, giving him a small smile of encouragement. Surely what he had to say couldn't be that bad. I mean, his nervousness was... well, uncharacteristic.   
  
"I really like you," he admitted. He gave a small laugh. "I don't know why I'm so nervous about this..." She giggled. "But... yeah, I really like you and... you're just so different. So smart, and funny, and so kind and beautiful - on the inside and out. I mean, you can look at the people that hurt you and still see some good in them." He glanced at her a moment, before looking away, towards his pockets. "And... you're different, and I like it. You ... always keep me guessing, always keep me on my toes. And your love for wanting to learn something, it's so contageous, you know? You get so excited, that it's so ... cute." She flushed, embarrassed by his sudden compliment streak. "And I don't really know you that well, but I want to get to know you... I want to go on dates with you, and be able to hang out with you, and sit in the windows with you and hold hands and just ramble about nothing. And sit here, in this weird little room and help you find the thing you care about the most in the world. And I want to be there for you... which I've never wanted to do for anyone before, but you're so... different." But he wasn't done, so Scarlett didn't speak. "But... I guess what I'm asking is... you and Zabini... is there anything there? Anything I should know about?"  
  
"You're asking if we're going to be following up on the whole marriage thing, aren't you?" Scarlett asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah, because I don't want to start to get feelings for you, only to find out that-"  
  
"Blaise and I are just friends," Scarlett interrupted. "We've talked about it... about what it would mean, if we found Tyler, and we intend to just be friends in the future. I believe he made me promise best friends, if that changes anything," Scarlett said, giving Cormac a soft smile. "I'm not marrying Blaise Zabini. Neither of us want that. We never wanted to be tied together like this in the first place, but we are, so... we're friends as we deal with it. But we won't be more than that - and if we were, it definitely isn't right now. But... I don't think I could ever love him romantically. We aren't each other's type. And I don't even know what my type is, but I know that," Scarlett admitted lastly in a giggle. "So... to answer your question, there isn't anything going on besides friendship between me and Blaise. Between me and Draco. Or anyone else, okay?"  
  
"Good," Cormac said almost to himself.   
  
"You like me in a romantic way, don't you?" she asked quietly.   
  
"Er, yeah, if that's a problem-"  
  
"No," she said quickly. "Can I... Can I be honest with you?" Cormac nodded, almost jerkily as if bracing himself for impact onto the castle walls after a flying incident went horribly wrong. "I've never had a chance to explore any of my feelings for anything. I've never had a chance to go on dates, or hold hands, or kiss under the moonlight," Scarlett said quietly. "At least, Ginny threw the picture for the last one in my head with everything she tells me about her and Dean- Anyway, that's not the point." She sighed quietly. "But, I have had a chance, and... though we don't know each other, I do think we should get to know each other... And, you've given me a sliver of everything I wanted my future to entail. A date to Hogsmeade - though Hogsmeade wasn't really what my past self had in mind. I can't say I'm complaining, though. And it was wonderful... And, I don't really know what I'm feeling right now, but I can say that it's not bad. It's a bit of anxiety and worry, at the moment, but I don't think it has anything to do with you."  
  
He chuckled slightly. "That's good to hear. So, I'd like to try, if you want to try, that is... a, uh... well, a relationship."  
  
"What does that mean?" she asked curiously. "I mean... I know it entails dating, but... I've never really seen other couples - besides Ginny and Dean, but they're not really what I should be modeling my own future off of-"  
  
"It means Hogsmeades together, and I'd walk you to class, and we'd snog in secret passageways so we aren't caught by Professor Snape, and hold hands, and study together, and... just sort of hang out - but not all the time. Just when you need someone."  
  
She smiled softly, glancing down at the shoes on the patched old mattress under her. "That sounds nice," she admitted. "Why... why do you still have an interest in me, with ... with Tyler and all this drama and stuff?"  
  
"Because that's only a bit of who you are, it's not the whole Scarlett Prince. . . It's... apart of you, but... there's so much more to you, as well. So... what do you say? Do you want to be the girlfriend of Cormac McLaggen?"  
  
"Do you want to be the boyfriend of Scarlett Prince? You know, I hear she's been blasted all over the papers, and she has this son, and she almost got expelled-"  
  
"Rebellious," Cormac winked. "Right up my alley."  
  
"Then yes, I think being the girlfriend of Cormac McLaggen doesn't sound so bad," she said with a small smile.   
  
"Good, because neither does being the boyfriend of Scarlett Prince."  
  
She grabbed her journal, standing up and making the room disappear. "Let's head back to the Common Room..." She groaned as the door appeared and glanced over her shoulder. "Harry's going to throw an absolute fit, isn't he?"  
  
"I don't want to be there when you tell him," Cormac insisted.   
  
"But I thought you just said you're supposed to be there when I need someone," Scarlett accussed, but the tone was teasing, and her eyes twinkled with mirth as he grabbed her discarded bag, opening the passage door.  
  
"Am I?" he asked "Dammit... He's going to kill me!"  
  
"You're a Gryffindor," she insisted.  
  
"Your dad's going to murder me!" Cormac said suddenly.  
  
"What, now you're backing out, after giving me that elloquent speech?" Scarlett laughed, incredulously.  
  
He laughed and as he sealed the door to the Room of Requirement, she noticed that they were in Gryffindor Common Room. Well, that was quite the nice little passage. It was empty, as it was very late, and the fire was dim in the fireplace. He grabbed her hand suddenly turning her around to face him. "I wish we could have another Hogsmeade date, do it all over again, sometime, and it be perfectly normal."  
  
"Next Hogsmeade is in December, right?" Scarlett questioned. "Well, you'll just have to ask me, then."  
  
He grinned. "You're cheeky."  
  
"As of late," she admitted. "I don't know why."  
  
"It's been hiding, waiting to get out..." He was silent and they stared at each other, their eyes meeting, but no sound continuing the conversation. "I... I really want to kiss you."  
  
She gave a small, almost shy smile. She dropped her gaze, giving a giggle. "Then, kiss me-" His hand gently came to her chin, nudging her face up, and she gave an embarrassed smile, trying to stamp out the nerves that suddenly appeared in her stomach. And then his mouth was gently pressed against hers, moulding to hers, as hers moulded to his.   
  
"What are you two doing?" a voice cried. Scarlett sighed as Cormac pulled away and dropped her head, resting it on his broad chest, which was breathing almost ... quickly. His heart was pounding. "To bed, the both of you."  
  
"One of these days, she's going to stop trying," Scarlett promised quietly. Cormac's chuckle made his chest rumble and she sighed yet again. "Goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight, Lettie." She pulled away, smiling at the nickname, before Hermione jerked her arm and she barely had time to grab her bag from Cormac, before she was being dragged up the stairs to her dorm, no doubt a lecture waiting for her once the dorm door was shut. The nerves in Scarlett's stomach still were fluttering madly... like butterflies.


	32. Memory Extraction

She awoke at three that morning, a feeling of refreshness - rejuvination - washing over her. It was different. It was... it was life. Things, while still horrible, were... were looking bright in the end. As long as they stayed on top. She took her time showering, the adjoined girl's bathroom empty, of course.   
  
And as she shampooed her hair, using a comb to brush through the tangles as she let the water wash out the soap, she thought over what Hermione had told her of Rita Skeeter. The woman was ruthless, apparently, looking for the next juciest piece of gossip. And that was something that was focused entirely on the Prince/Snape tale.   
  
And it wouldn't stop until all answers came out. Which Scarlett couldn't allow.   
  
Animagus. Animagus. She could work with that angle, maybe have Severus... impliment a tiny detail in her memories where she discussed with him the night it happened - and they removed memories where she told him he was still alive - so that a small beetle was in the window.   
  
It was possible. That way the diary angle could be completely irradicated.   
  
Lavender would be safe.  
  
But Tyler wouldn't.   
  
And it made Scarlett angry, but she would never endanger her friends, even if it meant putting a woman that - Scarlett knew deep down - would have had it coming to her on the chopping block. It was Dumbledore and Severus's call.   
  
She kicked the lifeless dummy, not feeling like charming it to attack her, and punched it with a fervor she didn't have before, until her lungs were on fire from her exercise and her arms felt weak.   
  
And by the time dawn rolled around, Scarlett cast a cleansing charm before redressing in her uniform and heading to the Common Room. She had no work to catch up on. If there was one thing she loved about Gryffindor Common Room, it was the color red virtually everywhere. Not only was it in the rugs, and the tapestries, but in the couches, the chess board, and even the wood along the ceiling.   
  
She pulled a book out of her bag, a supplemental Potions reading, and sighed softly, content. Well, almost. As content as she could be. She was so lost in reading that she failed to notice company, yet again, when a throat cleared and Cormac was in front of her. She gave him a small smile, bookmarking her page as she stood. "Hey," she greeted.  
  
"Sit with me at breakfast?"  
  
"Sure," she said brightly. The portrait opened as they approached and they made their way out of the portrait hole, heading towards the Great Hall. His hand grasped hers suddenly and she felt her face warm slightly, biting her lip.  
  
"So, how was Granger's lecture?"  
  
"She actually just huffed and went to bed," Scarlett admitted. "I think she's learning that her lectures aren't very effective and that I'm not as scared of her as Harry and Ron are." He chuckled. "She's probably still up there. It's barely dawn- What are you doing up?"  
  
"I wanted an early breakfast, because apparently my girlfriend tends to get up at ungodly hours."  
  
Scarlett laughed quietly. "I'm sorry... You didn't have to get up early. I was just going to sit in the Common Room and read until someone else got up-"  
  
"Do you not sleep?"  
  
"Oh, no, I do," Scarlett insisted. "Just... early at night and I can't sleep for too long. I never have."  
  
"And you aren't ever tired?"  
  
"No," Scarlett admitted. "Not usually. I think it's all the tea I drink at lunch. I'm a bit more hyper in my afternoon."  
  
"You're a morning person," Cormac chuckled. "I'm... a morning person when I get up. But I really love sleeping in at the same time."  
  
"Isn't that sort of... crossing the two out?" Scarlett questioned.  
  
"I suppose, but true... Depends on how close the coffee is."  
  
"You're a coffee person?" she asked, surprised. "You struck me more of a tea guy."  
  
"What do tea guys look like?"  
  
"You, apparently," she smiled. She bit her lip, her other hand holding her strap, and she tried her best to keep her head up... but her actions were almost natural to her that her gaze dropped to the floor as she flushed. "I have to go talk to Professor Snape this morning, after breakfast."   
  
"I can walk you. I have Defense first today," he said casually.  
  
"Oh.. okay, if you want."  
  
He wanted to. When they got to the Great Hall, they were one of the first people to be there, so they had their choice in seats. They opted to sit side by side rather than across from each other, and their breakfast appeared first, giving them full access to the selection that morning.   
  
"How long do you think it would take for Potter to notice we're dating?"  
  
"It depends," Scarlett admitted quietly. "It could be anywhere from this breakfast to... weeks from now. He's only observant when he wants to be."  
  
He hummed and poured some coffee for himself, sipping it and then making a face. "No cream." She giggled as he made his coffee to his liking and then sipped it again. "Are you going to tell them?"  
  
"They'll only make a scene," Scarlett sighed.   
  
"More fun to have them guess?"  
  
"More fun," she agreed, giggling. "Which is evil, but... maybe by that time they'll get used to it."  
  
"Well, I take it Granger already knows."  
  
"Sort of," she agreed quietly. "But... not really, I don't think. We'll see."  
  
"Do you want to bet on it?"  
  
"Bet?" she asked.  
  
"I'll ask you to Hogsmeade, if you win. And you'll ask me, if I win."  
  
She bit her lip, thinking about it. "I give them three weeks."  
  
"I say by the next Hogsmeade trip," Cormac said cheerfully. He sipped from his coffee again. "So, deal?"  
  
"You're on," Scarlett grinned.   
  
He smiled, almost to himself, and reached for a few pieces of toast. By the time Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived, they had already finished their breakfast and they were having a casual conversation, Cormac's friends - Julian and Marius.   
  
"No, so I dived towards the Lake, because Cormac was a bloody idiot and was going to be killed by some pissed off merpeople or something," Julian was explaining. "And as soon as the broom impacted, there was a huge wave that made the lake absolutely explode! And it was the Giant Squid and Cormac was swinging around in one of its arms-"  
  
Scarlett laughed, glancing at Cormac, as if to ask if it was true. "He likes to play with students that venture a little far out," Cormac muttered.  
  
"And throws Cormac so far that I was absolutely certain he was going to land in the Whomping Willow or something," Julian continued. "And then another one of the Squid's tentacles pops up and grabs him - I never knew how massive that thing was! He went to the infirmary with a mild concussion and a few broken ribs."  
  
"Oh Merlin," Scarlett giggled. "That's awful, but it's kind of funny."  
  
"I feel betrayed," Cormac said flatly, not finding it that amusing.   
  
Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't really have any stories where the Giant Squid tried to use me as a chew toy - but I do have a story of when I was four. I went out to the Garden alone, which I wasn't supposed to do, mind you. And it was the front garden, instead of the back garden. And the Malfoy family has these beautiful peacocks on their property - white and massive.   
  
"And I decided, being four, that they were the perfect size to try and ... well, ride."   
  
"You didn't," Marius said flatly, almost in disbelief.  
  
"I tried," Scarlett laughed quietly. "I plucked a few feathers out and pretty much murdered the poor thing to try and get it to stay, but it just wouldn't let me!"  
  
"I wonder why?" Julian questioned, shaking his head. "And then?"  
  
"Oh, I was doused in feathers, the poor thing was half naked, and I walked back into the manor spouting about how I found a chicken and it was mean to me. I guess, looking back, I was lucky it didn't claw me or try and peck my eyes out."  
  
"Lucky?" Cormac echoed. "Those are reported to be massive - dog sized. It could have killed you!"  
  
"Oh, I know," Scarlett giggled. "And after that, whenever I'd go out into the front garden, the peacocks would run away from me every time - I wasn't even allowed to get within twenty feet of them."  
  
"Could you imagine how traumatized that bird had to have been?" Marius laughed. "And then he probably told all of his other bird friends, or they saw the mutilation, and vowed to run away forever after."  
  
"Hey, it's eight fifteen," Cormac said suddenly. "You said you wanted to go to Defense early-?"  
  
"Er, yeah," Scarlett said, grabbing her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. "It was lovely properly meeting you, Julian, Marius. I'll, hopefully, see you soon."  
  
"You're going to miss the post," Julian commented.  
  
Cormac shrugged, standing as well. "I'm not expecting anything. See you in class, guys."  
  
"Yeah," his friends muttered. Cormac made his stride shorter, so that he was in even pace with Scarlett, and they ducked out of the Great Hall, their destination the same.   
  
"So... do you talk to Snape often in the mornings?"  
  
"No," Scarlett admitted. "I tend to talk to him during my private Potions lessons," Scarlett said. "Or Sunday mornings, when I get my new extra assignment projects."   
  
He raised an eyebrow, "So essentially not a lot of free time, huh?"  
  
She gave an apologetic smile. "Not really... I wish I could tell you more than you know, but... I can't," she said quietly. Her teeth were gnawing at her lip, and she ran through all of the secrets she was still keeping - the Dark Lord. "It's not... it's not safe."  
  
"Are you safe?"  
  
She gave him a small shrug. "Not really. As safe as any of us, I suppose." She tightened her fingers on her bag strap. "I can cut back on my Sunday trainings, so we have more time together-"  
  
"No," Cormac insisted. "I'm sure there's a good reason you're doing them..." She glanced at him, surprised, and slightly panicking. "One that you can't tell me. So... don't do that. We can hang out after dinners, right? Do homework together or just talk?"  
  
"Of course," Scarlett said immediately. Then, she winced. "Well, except for about a half hour after dinner on Monday and Wednesdays. Blaise and I work on our Ancient Runes projects then... and I suspect Draco might come in to work on the Arithmancy ones..." She sighed. "So, any time after that, I'm all yours."  
  
"Yeah, okay," Cormac shrugged. "Sounds... fine." She knew by his tone, though, that he was slightly disappointed. "You're going to crash, one of these days."  
  
"Hopefully not," Scarlett giggled. "Do you know how many injuries that may cause?"  
  
Cormac chuckled, and they began to talk mindlessly, about hobbies - of which, Scarlett didn't have any. "You can always count beating dummies up," Cormac added helpfully. "That's sort of a hobby."  
  
"Is it?" Scarlett asked. "But... I thought hobbies were more like reading, and playing chess, or Exploding Snaps, and ... flying?"  
  
"Well, sure, but it can be more eccentric things, too," he pointed out. "Like Longbottom taking care of that Mimbulus. And Granger always saving Potter's neck. And Potter's hero complex."  
  
She gave a small smile. "Sure. Then, I beat things up."  
  
"That's hot," Cormac admitted.  
  
She laughed, rolling her eyes. She knocked three times on the Defense door and it opened sharply, Severus leaning in the door frame, his eyes narrowed. "What?"  
  
"Can I talk to you, sir? Alone?"  
  
His gaze shifted to Cormac. "What are you doing here, Mr. McLaggen? Class doesn't start for another half hour-"  
  
"He was walking me," Scarlett spoke up. "With the news recently, he thought it would be best I didn't walk alone. I didn't argue... He had a point."  
  
"Very well. We'll talk in my office, Miss Prince."  
  
She nodded once and followed him, giving Cormac a shrug as she ascended the steps for his office. As soon as the office door shut behind her, a silencing charm was in place. "What is this about? Don't you have another class to get to?"  
  
"It takes five minutes to walk to Arithmancy from here, sir," Scarlett pointed out. "I talked to Hermione about Rita Skeeter." He raised an eyebrow, asking her to continue. "She's an unregistered animagus, sir. A beetle. That's how she managed to write all of those stories about Harry in his fourth year. She transforms, sneaks in restricted areas she shouldn't be in, and then transforms back once she's left the location to write - and it's usually full of only half the truth."  
  
"So, you think we can use this against her?"  
  
"Absolutely, sir," Scarlett said easily. "There are many angles we can go with - She snuck into the girl's dorm during classes last week, found my diary. She was in here during a meeting we had, where we discussed Tyler - and we'd have to make sure not to mention where he was alive during it. Or we could go from a different angle, where she was spying on you while you read the potions results. And maybe encounters where we discussed my time at the manor-"  
  
"You've given this a fair bit of thought," Severus observed.  
  
"Each one would spur the same result, regardless. The first would make him slightly angry with me, for being so careless as to write in the diary about these things. But it wouldn't explain how she knew he was alive - unless she did some research - if that was the case then he would be able to find the information as well. He may even ask to see the diary. The second possibility would still leave the alive part omitted - but then we'd both be in trouble for not detecting her presence. The third option would get you in trouble, for not finding her - or we could go with a fourth option, which would be she snuck into my dorm and your office - finding the results and my diary."  
  
"I'll discuss this with Albus during my planning period," Severus stated after a moment. "But, I believe, the fourth option would be the best. It prevents any carelessness of our detection... And your diary - we can modify the memories ... but you will need to do a bit of detecting for me."  
  
"Sir?" Scarlett questioned.  
  
"When Lavender Brown is asleep, I need you to use legimency to gently ease into her mind and extract the memory of her rummaging for your diary. Then, I'll create a memory where I take the results - we'll have to rebrew the potion or fake them - and we'll combine said memories and implant them into Rita Skeeter's head, while she's oblivious. It'll take some time - perhaps a few evenings."  
  
"Anything, sir," Scarlett answered. "When do we notify the Dark Lord?"  
  
"I will contact him to tell him I have a few leads amongst Order members, and your dormmates... Then, by the time he calls, we will hopefully have the memories effectively in place."  
  
"I'll get started right away, sir," Scarlett promised. "I'll get it to you by tomorrow morning."  
  
"Do not be detected," Severus said firmly. She understood. If she was, it would ruin everything and put more people in danger than Scarlett cared to admit. "You may tell Mr. McLaggen to take a seat. I trust you can make it to Arithmancy safely?"  
  
"Er, yes sir," Scarlett admitted. She rose, clutching her bag. "They're helping, sir. Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, Hermione, Cormac, Ginny, Neville... they're helping Blaise and Draco and I find Tyler - research Muggle records. If the Dark Lord is searching, and the paper said Lucius was funding the search... We will have even less time now. Just in case we run out of time, I don't want the potion to be our only option."  
  
"Since I received ingredients slightly earlier than expected," Severus spoke up, "I suspect that the potion will be done just before Christmas."  
  
She nodded. "That's still almost three months from now." She didn't want to even think about how many days that meant. "So... we figured eleven heads at the matter was better than three."  
  
"Indeed," Severus agreed. "However, I don't want their help to become public."  
  
"Of course not, sir," Scarlett said immediately. "That would be foolish."  
  
He nodded once and she sighed, moving towards the door. "Very well."  
  
She gave Cormac a small smile when she exited the Defense Room. "He says you're allowed to go in... but, I'd wait a few minutes for him to cool down. I think he's a tad angry."  
  
"He's always angry," Cormac muttered. "I'll be brave."  
  
"Gryffindor," she countered.   
  
"See you at lunch," he murmured, grasping hands with her.  
  
"You can sit with me, if you want," Scarlett shrugged. "Whatever you like to do. I may be reading, though, so I'm not doing homework all night."  
  
"Sure," he smiled.  
  
She smiled herself and released their intertwined hands, moving towards the staircase. "Have fun!" she called.  
  
He just groaned, knowing the class would no doubt be awful - for him, at least. Severus at least liked her.   
  
That evening, as she sat in the Common Room, she curled up on the couch, Cormac by her feet. She looked up from her reading to find him squinting at the parchment in front of him, as though he couldn't read it.   
  
"What's wrong?" she asked casually, setting her book between her knees so that she could give him her full attention. He shook his head. "You look like Professor Snape must look when he reads Hermione's essays," she teased. "Something's wrong."  
  
"I still need to write six more inches, but I've written all I can," Cormac admitted after a moment.  
  
"What's the assignment?" she asked, dropping her feet to lean forward and stare into the parchment. She could hardly see it in the poorly lit Common Room.  
  
"The magical properties of unicorns and their horns."  
  
"Oh," Scarlett said, passing him the book she had been reading. "This might help. A few pages after this one it mentions unicorns. I'm currently on banshees, of course, so I haven't read about unicorns, but this has more unconventional methods - such as pudding with banshee spit - it's quite gross."  
  
"Er... thanks?"  
  
She smiled brightly, her eyes squinting as well as she tried to read about the unicorns. "You could also mention their fur. It's used in healing potions for rape victims, and sometimes in fertility rituals - well, was in the Dark Ages."  
  
"Oh, thanks."  
  
She just gave him a smile and watched as he drew lines to places, adding in what she said, before flipping to the pages she mentioned. He worked diligently, but slowly, constantly checking things in books before he wrote them down. There was a fair amount of time spent just on the one essay and when he finished, he gave the book back to her. "Thanks," he said more warmly.  
  
"Anytime," she returned before tucking the book back into her bag. "So, do you have any others?"  
  
"Not at the time, no."  
  
"Do you want to do something?"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"I, er... I don't know," Scarlett admitted. She hadn't thought that far ahead when the question came to mind.  
  
"What about chess?" She agreed and he led her to an empty chessboard, before explaining the rules. "Right, you have to move the pawns first, and then, when given enough room, you can move the second row - and each piece can only move a set number of spaces or a set direction, so this one-" He pointed, spouting off directions and numbers and even demonstrated on the board. So she tried to play, but it was much more difficult than he explained it. The players, while funny, spouted rude insults to Cormac when he'd make a play to kill one of her players. And his own would simply grumble when she would take one of his pieces.  
  
She headed up to her dorm at precisely nine-thirty, tired and knowing the next day was going to be just as exhausting. She kissed his cheek lightly, almost impulsively as she stood up with her bag, the players piecing themselves together. And then blushed lightly at what she had done. "Don't be embarrassed," he requested quietly. His hands grabbed hers, pulling her closer to him and their faces were quite close - Scarlett could feel the tickle of his breath on her collarbone from the height difference, him sitting down. "Goodnight."  
  
She smiled gently, leaning down as he reached up for a kiss upon her lips. It was quick, almost like a bird pecking at a piece of bread, and he pulled back with a grin building on his face. "Good night," she agreed.  
  
He let Scarlett disappear upstairs and she did so, still flushed and trying to figure out why she had reacted instictively and kissed him on the cheek. She had never been so forward before.  
  
She resumed reading for only a half hour more with her curtains closed as she waited for the rest of her housemates to get to bed. And Scarlett didn't know if she should have waited until morning, or should have gone now, to extract the memory - but eventually decided on morning when Lavender would no doubt be far deeper asleep. Getting caught was the worst thing she could do.  
  
So she slept, herself, dragging her cat off of her pillow and instead placing him at the foot of her bed, where he was destined to be more comfortable - and she less fur covered. She dusted off her pillow before sighing, resting her head upon it, and then going into a fitful rest - her dreams plagued with chambers, cells, and an abundance of slippery water people would trip upon - and then Tyler, broken, battered, laying on the floor of her cell, chains tied tightly together.  
  
She woke with a cry, her breath fast as the image of Tyler refused to leave her mind's eye. She took a few calming breaths, before casting a quiet tempus. 2:15. It was a good time to get up. She was quiet as she opened the curtains to the side of the room that only gave her a view of Lavender's bed and her feet touched the ground, freezing almost instantly. The outdoors were getting chilly, and soon it would be snowing.  
  
A vial. She needed a vial first. She cast a silencing charm on her trunk as she opened it, and selected a vial from nearly the top, before she shut the trunk and moved towards Lavender's bed. Another quick spell told her that the teen was fast asleep, and that she was currently in her deepest part of the REM cycle. Scarlett had been reading on it while she was waiting for Blaise after dinner.  
  
Scarlett pulled the curtains aside slowly, peering down at a sleeping Lavender. The bruises had faded with a bruise salve, but they were still blotchy yellow and they looked as though they hurt when touching. "Legimens," Scarlett murmured, her wand pointed between the girl's eyes, and then Scarlett was in her head, into the blissful dreams the girl was having about Cormac - dreams Scarlett, or anyone, wouldn't really care to see. So Scarlett made quick work in weaving around that memory, instead focusing on herself, on Scarlett and any memories containing her.  
  
She found quite a few. The blue hair spell one of the most prominent, including a few rumors she had spread about Scarlett - one being that she was pregnant right at that moment with Harry Potter's child. Scarlett snorted at the very thought. That, Scarlett believed, was called incest. Finally, she found the memory, of Lavender in the middle of the evening on Thursday - the Thursday right before the article leaked - waiting until everyone had left for breakfast before she began to dig through Scarlett's trunk, and finally, feel under her mattress. Leo attempted to scratch at her, but she shut the door, locking Leo outside. And then when she found the diary, Scarlett watched the girl's eyes turn into absolute elation, sitting on her own bed as she read the pages, grinning wickedly, and then copying them.  
  
As Scarlett pulled out of her head, she extracted the memory, noticing that the time must have passed quickly because it was almost dawn. She was going to have to miss her training session. Slipping the memory into the vial, Scarlett corked it, before changing into her uniform almost silently, and casting the room one last glance before departing to her father's office in the dungeons.  
  
She knew he was awake, as he was always an early riser, he informed her, so when she got to his chambers, she knocked three times and stepped back, biting her lip as she waited for him to answer. The door sprung open a minute later. "What seems to be the problem?"  
  
"I've got it, sir," Scarlett answered.  
  
"Come in." She had only been in the dungeon office once, his Head office, and that was the first day of classes. She stepped over the threshold noting how the office looked exactly the same as it had then. Not that she expected it to look different. She held out the vial to him and Severus took it delicately before moving towards a pensive. "I will begin working on it this morning. There is nothing more for you to do."  
  
"But, sir, don't you need to create the memory?"  
  
He waved her away. "Yes, but it takes precise time and planning. I can't begin to teach you that. We are under too much of a time strain for that. These need to be done by tomorrow evening at the latest."  
  
"Oh... okay, sir." Scarlett knew she had been dismissed so she walked quietly out of the office, shutting its door behind her, and wondered if she should go to the Great Hall or back to the Common Room. After a few seconds of thinking, she decided on the Common Room, as Cormac would no doubt want to meet her there. And so she set her destination and begin the long walk. 


	33. Forget Me NEVER

Cormac slept in a little later than normal, so Scarlett sat quietly by the fire, reading. "Hey, you coming down with us?" Ginny asked.  
  
"In a minute," Scarltt replied. "I'm almost done with this chapter."  
  
Ginny raised an eyebrow as her friends went along, approaching Scarlett. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the seventh year that's looking at you from the stairs would it?"  
  
Scarlett glanced towards the stairs, seeing Cormac buttoning his sweater and his eyes met hers as whatever he said to Julian faded. Scarlett glanced at Ginny, giving the girl a sweet smile. "Of course not."  
  
"Uh huh... Like I didn't notice that you held hands under the table all throughout lunch yesterday," Ginny accused.  
  
"What?" Scarlett asked, startled. She didn't think it was that obvious... He had grabbed her hand to keep her from trying to read again, after she forgot her lunch twice. "How did you-?"  
  
"I'm observant," Ginny quipped. "Nice to see you're happy... You remember the charm and potion I taught you-?"  
  
"But-Ginny!" Scarlett called as the girl nearly skipped away. She rolled her eyes, sighing, as Cormac leaned on the back of the couch. "Hello, Cormac. Julian."  
  
"Lettie," Cormac greeted. "Want to head to breakfast?"  
  
She didn't know where else they would go. She nodded, putting her book in her bag, and following. "I never gave you those books back," Scarlett apologized. "I have them, in my dorm, to give back. They worked perfectly for my project. Thank you."  
  
He shrugged. "No problem. Happy to help."   
  
When they got to the Great Hall, it was packed and they had to fight for some seats, but a glare from Cormac had sent Neville squeezing into Dean's side.   
  
"That was mean," Scarlett chided as she sat beside Neville.   
  
"Sorry, Longbottom," Cormac said almost flatly, as though he wasn't sorry at all, sitting beside her. "So tomorrow morning you do that thing where you're in Defense all morning?"  
  
Scarlett nodded. "From about five until 9:30. So, I'm not going to be in breakfast. I still have so much to catch up on for some Defense techniques and Potions."  
  
So he simply nodded and went to start eating his breakfast, Julian squeezing in front of them so that he could talk to his best mate. When the post came, Scarlett knew she was there a little later than normal, but didn't seem to mind. She had History of Magic that morning and she usually stayed later on Tuesdays to put back the boredom. Her professor was... not as exciting as the rest of her classes.  
  
In fact, he didn't even act like he had a class, droning on about the Goblin Wars or whatever struck his fancy, barely taking an unneeded breath so that Scarlett could catch up on the notes she was taking.   
  
A package landed in her porridge, making it splash all over her and mix with not only her outfit, but in her hair as well. She gasped in outrage, trying to wipe it off of her sweater, but to no avail. The bird was flapping around and just getting food absolutely everywhere.  
  
"Woah, woah!" Cormac cried, untangling the package from the owl's leg and it flew off, hooting in indignation. She groaned at the porridge that splattered on her face and wiped away at it, before grabbing her napkin. "Evanesco," Cormac said with a flick of his wand and the porridge immediately vanished, making her sigh in relief that she didn't have to run to go change.   
  
"Thanks," she said to her boyfriend before pulling the package out of the porridge and setting it on the table beside the bowl.   
  
"That was Fred and George's owl," Ron spoke up. "What are they sending you?" Scarlett didn't have a guess. She pulled at the strings, almost hesitantly, as she was afraid it might explode. And it did. Into blue confetti that rained down into people's breakfasts and hair. Scarlett sighed and grabbed the letter resting atop another packaged box and unfolded it carefully, as if that too would explode.  
  
Congratulations! It's a boy!  
  
We've been working on something extra special for you! Remember that Forget Me Not we got you for your birthday? Throw it out. We've got something better! This is the Forget Me NEVER! And you've got the only one in existance. Simply hold it - a blood sacrifice of a chicken is optional, but encouraged, because we'd love to see Gonnie throw a fit over that one - and watch as the lines appear. It should work for over a thousand miles! (Big upgrade from the twenty in the Forget Me Not.) Hope you find the mini-mini Snape because bloody hell, we could use some child labor to run the shop. . . (That was a joke). If it doesn't work... you may need to send it back so we can keep recalibrating. This is just a prototype.   
  
Remember, anything you want from the shop, let us know. It's on the house.  
  
Gred and Forge.  
  
She rolled her eyes, peering into the box to see that wasn't the only thing they sent - a small box with their handwriting labeling it as Forget Me NEVER, but also loads of puking pastels and other sweets that were no doubt from their Skiving Snack Box.  
  
She rolled her eyes, boxing it back up and casting an Evanesco so that the food wouldn't get all over her things.   
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Something to help," Scarlett told Cormac quietly. He didn't need to elaborate on what it was for helping. It was implied. Tyler. She would have to send a thank you note to them during lunch. It touched her greatly that they were thinking about her.   
  
The next morning, she brought it to her private session, her hands shaking as she pulled it out of the box.   
  
"I'm supposed to just hold it," she explained, setting it on the table. Severus gazed at it impassively, as though analyzing it. "And the lines will appear. According to this... Blue means parents, red is grandparents, and gold or yellow is children." She glanced at him, biting her lip and twisting her hands to keep from fidgeting more. "I've tried the other one and nothing showed up, but then again, it only worked for twenty feet, so... it wouldn't have worked."   
  
"Do you trust it to work?"  
  
"Undoubtedly. The twins are really geniuses with what they do," Scarlett said with complete faith. He nodded, gesturing for her to pick it up. She did so, and couldn't help but close her eyes, almost terrified of what she'd see.   
  
"You may look, Scarlett," Severus intoned after a moment.  
  
She opened her eyes warily and glanced at the Forget Me NEVER, her eyes widening in disbelief. A blue line was pointing directly at Severus, a red line directly south, towards her, and a gold line... Tears filled her eyes. A gold line. Tyler.  
  
"He seems to be directly Southwest of here," Severus stated. "Which is near where Wiltshire is located. It is possible he was never far from you to begin with - maybe a few towns over?"  
  
"Sir, we found him," she whispered.  
  
"We've found a general direction, which is an amazingly good start," Severus answered, practical as always. "We can focus there, and your friends can focus on the records from that region. If you place it on this map, we can draw a direct line through any cities or villages that fall directly on the line."  
  
Scarlett noticed a large map of England on his desk and she made sure that it lined up with the direction he told her was north, and she placed it around where they were. It hit through where Malfoy Manor was exactly. Hope surged through her. A massive amount of hope.  
  
"He's out there," she whispered.  
  
"For being dunderheads in my class, the Weasley twins have outdone themselves," Severus said suddenly. "However... I'm afraid that the Dark Lord has requested our presence this evening."  
  
"Why?" Scarlett asked, confused. "It's a Wednesday."  
  
"Yes, well... I informed him last night that Rita Skeeter was the culprit. I planted the memories earlier in the evening and erased ones involving Miss Brown. We are expected for dinner."  
  
"Did he sound terribly angry?"  
  
"Not particularly," Severus stated after a moment. "I think he is more impressed with our speed."  
  
She sighed in relief. "Good. That means not a lot of... punishment, right?"  
  
"No," Severus agreed. "Not a lot. Probably minimal, for him."  
  
Which was good. He rolled up the map, placing it in the box for her to use for researching, and then pulled her towards the circle on the floor. "Mr. Zabini has informed me that your friends are aware of your morning sparring."  
  
"They sort of surprised me," Scarlett admitted. "I... I was practicing when they came earlier than I expected to help look for Tyler... Of course, Blaise and Draco knew, because sometimes they help me with duelling in the evenings after their Quidditch practice, but... they were a little surprised."  
  
He grunted in agreement. "I'd imagine. However, I heard on Sunday that you gave Crabbe a broken nose."  
  
"Er, yes... Twice."  
  
"Good." She smiled at the amusement in his tone. "We haven't all day. Change."  
  
She did so, and stepped into the circle. He was quicker and she noticed that he didn't hold back, which she appreciated, but it also made her realize just how good he was compared to her. She had a lot to learn.   
  
She froze as his arm was suddenly around her neck, mocking blocking her airway and she straightened as he held still as well. "If someone gets in this position, what do you do?"  
  
"Jab them in the stomach, groin, or ribs, and then spin away."  
  
"And if they do not let go?"  
  
She hesitated. "Maybe, bite their arm."  
  
"And lose your teeth as they use your bite against you," Severus said flatly. "No. Try again."  
  
"I can gouge out their eyes with my thumbs?" she asked hesitantly, as he had informed her of that technique for special circumstances - ie, she would die otherwise.  
  
"Effective, but not when they are holding your arms to your sides." His other arm wrapped around her torso, pinning her arms to her sides.   
  
"Kick?"  
  
"Chances are I will be strong enough to lift you and stop you from kicking."  
  
"I... I don't know, sir."  
  
"You slam your head back, into my face-" She nodded carefully. "I will be dazed, potentially letting you go, giving you enough time to run or grab your wand. Then, you will be free. Or... if that doesn't work, you can use my strength against me. Kick me, free your arms, and then grab my arm, using your body as a force to flip me over - chances are I will break an arm."  
  
"How, sir? I will most likely be confronted by a man that weighs twice my own weight-"  
  
"Precisely. Kick." She did so, not holding back because she knew he wanted to reinact it as accurately as possible. He grunted and his arm around her hands moved, freeing them. She immediately grabbed the arm under her throat on instinct. "Now lean forward and pull my arm down, using your body as a spring board."  
  
She did as asked, but it just ended up as he pulling on his arm and he stumbled a bit.   
  
"Again."  
  
So they did it again. And again. And again. And still she couldn't flip him over.   
  
"We'll work on it," Severus stated. "How is your Occulmency?"  
  
She let him intrude her mind and he was satisfied with the memories she kept out in the open. "You can still work on the false memory aspect, but I believe for now it will be fine." She was relieved. She still could work on strengthening it, but it wasn't that bad. It would let her pass.  
  
"Meet me here immediately after your Healer course so that we can depart."  
  
She nodded and left, casting a cleansing charm as she redressed into her uniform, and headed towards History of Magic, yet again. She could honestly live without this class, she knew it.   
  
"I... I won't be here for dinner," she said quietly to Harry. "I have somewhere to be."  
  
Harry frowned, confused, before understanding dawned on him. "Is this about the article?"  
  
"I'll be missing dinner," she said, shrugging. "Tell Cormac for me, please? At lunch. I have to mail a letter to Fred and George and grab my books for the rest of my classes, before I try to find the Grey Lady to apologize. I... I know you don't like him, but I'd appreciate if you told him."  
  
"Sure," Harry shrugged. "He'll probably be worried, since you're all friends, apparently." She gave a small smile. At this rate, Cormac was going to win the bet. "So... do you know where you're going?"  
  
"The Ministry," Scarlett answered. "Apparently the Ministry of Records wants to clarify any information they can for me, so that Severus is listed as my Emergency Contacts and everything. Basically, to fix everything that's been hidden." He nodded.  
  
"Oh, I thought you were going to... you know... tall, dark, and scary."  
  
Scarlett snorted. "I'm taking Severus with me... You know, you really should learn to call him by Professor Snape-"  
  
"That's not what I-" She gave him a meaningful look. "Oh. Yeah, I guess you're right... You'll be careful?"  
  
"I'm always careful," Scarlett said quietly. "I have to make up for it, since you're so brash." She was quiet as they walked to Defense together, Ron and Hermione ahead, arguing. "Why won't you tell us why you meet with Dumbledore?"  
  
"He made me swear not to tell."  
  
"Not even your friends?" she asked, confused.  
  
"Er, yeah... not even."  
  
"That's... sad..." The Dark Lord wouldn't be happy. But she now had something to tell him, which was always good. "Does it have to do with... the war?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Harry admitted. "Dumbledore won't tell me. But I think he might soon... something's weird about it."  
  
"Oh," Scarlett said quietly. She didn't press and instead focused on making it to class. Since Hermione and Ron were yet again arguing, and Ron opted to sit with Scarlett, leaving Harry to deal with the furious Hermione. Ron sat ungracefully in his seat and huffed, drawing Scarlett's attention. "What happened?"  
  
"She's bloody annoying," Ron muttered. "Not everyone has to follow a strict study schedule. Like I get you and Hermione can do that-"  
  
"So don't," Scarlett shrugged. "Everyone learns differently. She just wants you to put some effort into your studies."  
  
"I do," Ron insisted. "I get Es. That's enough to be an Auror."  
  
"Actually," Scarlett said carefully. "There was a recent academic debate on whether or not Auror should be a majority of Os in the required subjects." Ron glanced at her, eyes wide. "Mainly Defense, Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions. If the wizarding population is protected by them, they want only extremely qualified Aurors to save people. And with so many applicants, the higher the grades, and the more Os, the better chance you have of actually qualifying for Auror training."  
  
"Where did you read that?"  
  
"There are a few academic journals in the library Madame Pince gets every few days. One of them is job requirement arguments."   
  
"But I can't get an O in Potions!" Ron cried. "Snape hated me!"  
  
"Professor Snape isn't teaching it anymore," Scarlett pointed out. "And I rather think Professor Slughorn likes you. He'd be more than happy to teach you-"  
  
"I think I'm going to be ill," Ron murmured. "Five Os? I have to get five Os?"  
  
"I suggest you leave the classroom before you do get sick, Mister Weasley," Severus intoned as he entered the room. "I will be collecting your essays from last week." All at once the students rose and began laying a roll of parchment in the basket on his desk. When they were seated, his eyes darted around the room. "We've begun our duelling unit last week. Can anyone tell me the proper technique for duelling?" Hermione's hand shot in the air. "No one? Very well. What about the proper response time for return fire in a duel?" Hermione's hand slowly inched down, confusion on her face. Scarlett's own hand itched. "No one?" His eyes surveyed the room. "Miss Prince?"  
  
"You don't want to wait too long they have time to fire yet another spell at you," Scarlett said immediately. "However, you want to give them time to anticipate your move. That way they will shield prematurely and the spell will hit them."   
  
"Two points to Gryffindor for sheer dumb luck." Scarlett felt her lips twitch. "And what is it, Miss Prince, that will save a dueller that is losing a fight?"  
  
"His feet, sir," Scarlett answered.  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"Because feet are what can help you run away," Scarlett admitted. "It's better to run from a duel than to die in a duel. And if it's an informal duel - say in the middle of the war, perhaps - you won't have time to exchange formalities, and chances are the Dark forces won't be following formalities either."  
  
"And how would you get away, Miss Prince? How would you ensure you aren't followed?"  
  
"Generally, you want to stun them," Scarlett shrugged. "But that's not always the case. You can't guarantee to hit them if you're already losing... So, you would try your best to put as much distance as possible between the two of you in the course of the duel, and then as you begin to back away, create a barrier so that you are unable to be hit when your back is turned."  
  
"A cowardly way to go, don't you think?"  
  
"Oh, absolutely not, sir," Scarlett disagreed immediately. "It's better for you to survive the battle, to take on someone else in the future - to learn from your failed attempt at a duel, in order to learn and defeat them when you meet again, or when you meet any other person that will try to either injure or kill you."  
  
"So, running is perfectly fine?" Severus asked, as if he didn't agree. She knew he did. He had told her himself. Ron was giving her a look that clearly conveyed she needed to stop talking.  
  
"Yes, sir, running is completely fine. Normal. In fact, encouraged."  
  
"Good, Miss Prince. A further two points for Gryffindor. And when you are incapacitated? When you are unable to use your wand because you have been disarmed?"  
  
"You can still run without your wand, sir," Scarlett pointed out. "A portkey, perhaps, or find shelter until the coast is clear and then look for someone you trust-"  
  
"And if you have no place to hide, nowhere to run?" he demanded, so suddenly that a few students jumped and Scarlett noticed Neville turn a little pale.  
  
"Well... you'd have to use your hands, sir. Fight them."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, a wand isn't your only weapon. You have your fists, your elbows, your head, your knees, your feet. Anything can be a weapon."  
  
"Good," he said shortly. "Now, we will be pairing up, duelling each other. This will not be a formal duel, but any spells not allowed in school are forbidden, is that clear?" Students nodded. "Your partners are those sitting beside you... I will then manuever them according to who wins your duel."  
  
Ron gulped. And then the desks were floating in the air, above them, as well as their bags and chairs. Leaving twenty students standing and looking slightly miffed. "Begin."  
  
It was the most fun Scarlett had had in any of her core classes since school began. Though Ron was a little intimidated, she could see a spark of determination in his eyes and smirked. She won the duel in a relatively short time, giving him his wand back, but Severus barked. "Did you learn nothing, Weasley? We discussed precisely what is to happen when you lose your wand-"  
  
"But I'm not going to hit a girl, sir!" Ron squeaked. "And not her! She'd kill me!"  
  
Scarlett giggled. "I can take it, Ron."  
  
"It's not you I'm worried about," Ron insisted. "It's me!"  
  
"Since you're so terrified of Miss Prince, perhaps we'll pair her up with someone else... Mister Malfoy!" Severus barked, effectively ending the duel. "You're paired with Weasley. Mister Zabini, please duel with Miss Prince."  
  
"Gladly," Draco smirked, glancing at Ron with something that promised it wouldn't be fun. She gave Blaise a smile.  
  
"I'm going to be sore, aren't I?" Blaise questioned.  
  
"No idea why," Scarlett shrugged. But the grin she gave him in response made him sigh.   
  
"Did I ever mention I hated all of you?"  
  
"Frequently," she promised.   
  
"Stupify," he said suddenly and she jumped out of the way, surprised. He gave her an innocent expression. "I thought we were fighting, not talking."  
  
She laughed, and cast an equally as sharp expelliarmus. They battled back and forth until he cast a jinx on the floor, causing her to trip and her want to be taken with a simple expelliarmus a second later. She huffed, staring at Blaise and smirking. He gulped.   
  
"Wait," Blaise said slowly. "You know you can't hurt me, right?" She took a few steps towards him and he stumbled back. "Right? Scarlett-" She grabbed the arm that was extended in an effort to keep her away and made a reach for her wand, but Blaise pulled out of her grip and walked backwards with his hands up. "Don't want to hurt you, Scarlett-"  
  
"You're not going to hurt me," Scarlett promised. "But I would like my wand back."  
  
"Uh, you could ask nicely?" Blaise tried.  
  
"Please?"  
  
"No." Scarlett rolled her eyes and attempted to lunge for him, but stray spellfire from another duel made her halt and duck out of the way before she walked over to Blaise, making him run into the wall as he kept trying to back away. "Uh... so, this is cozy," Blaise grinned.  
  
"Give me my wand," she requested politely.  
  
"No," he insisted. "Snape would have my head if I just did what Weasley did and then he might pair you up with Parkinson-"  
  
"You asked for it," Scarlett sighed.  
  
"Asked for what?" Blaise asked. "Hey!" He moved as she made a grab for it again and grabbed his arm, pleased when he tried to fight back - hesitantly - and she blocked. It was a game of punch and block for a while until she actually did punch him in the face, to which the wands clattered to the floor and he cried out. "Bloody hell, woman! What was that for?"  
  
"Thanks for the wand," Scarlett said with a smile. She grabbed her wand and held out his to him. But he was clutching his eye and when he pulled his hand away she saw that he was already swelling. She immediately felt guilty "Oh my Merlin, I'm so sorry! I didn't think I hit you that hard!"  
  
"You bloody well know you did," he muttered. "I'm disfigured. None of the girls will ever look at me again!"  
  
She sighed in exasperation. "The more you keep being dramatic, the less sympathy I hold for you. Now hold still so I can heal it."  
  
"What if I go blind?"   
  
"Blaise? Stop talking, please," Scarlett requested, giggling. She healed the bruises and minimalized the swelling. "See? All better."  
  
"You're a bloody terrifying-"  
  
"Saying bloody a lot doesn't make it more terrifying or well," she countered. "You're starting to sound like Ron."  
  
His nose wrinkled. "Weasel? No!"  
  
"I'd like you to select a new partner from a different house than your own," Severus stated. "That way there's no alliances on how to go easy on one another. This is a war, not playtime with your onesies."  
  
Draco and Scarlett's eyes met and an agreement passed. Partners.   
  
"What you said to Ron," Harry said quietly as they gathered their things to leave. "They aren't really upping the requirements, are they?"  
  
"No," Scarlett admitted. "But he's guaranteed to start studying now, isn't he?" Scarlett glanced at Harry to see his surprised expression before she began to head for the owlery.  
  
Scarlett settled into her seat, smoothing out the black skirt and black sweater she had changed into for the meeting. She wanted to look professional - not the blue sweater, ridiculously short shorts she had been dressed in the last time she was here. She couldn't believe Severus had let her go dressed that way.   
  
And when he said the Dark Lord wasn't particularly angry, he failed to mention that he was, just not at them. "Rita Skeeter," he savored the name as if it were a meal - perhaps she would be, soon. "The woman that published the article?"  
  
"She has a reputation for publishing stories - anything to get the latest juicy gossip," Scarlett explained. "When discussing the article with me, the Golden Trio - as they're so fondly referred to as - mentioned how she would always spread rumors about them a few years back - during a TriWizard Tournament." Scarlett swallowed as his eyes narrowed at her. "And... so, Hermione Granger, actually, told me that she discovered the way Rita Skeeter did it was by transforming into her animagus - a small black beetle with eyeglasses for markings. She's unregistered, my Lord."  
  
"No one would suspect a bug roaming a dark, old castle," the Dark Lord mused. "How clever."  
  
"And as I'm sure my father informed you, my Lord, she entered the castle without being detected somehow - we're still unsure how. Perhaps with a student on their trunk? Or through Hogsmeade."  
  
"And read your diary."  
  
"... Yes, my Lord," Scarlett murmured.  
  
"How careless... but, a teenage girl... I suppose all of them have a diary somwehere... I cannot fault you for that... And I am most pleased with the speed in which you two found the one that exposed such secrets." She swallowed. "I will reward you, my dear. Crabbe!" the Dark Lord barked suddenly. Mr. Crabbe, the father of Vincent Crabbe, jumped in his seat.  
  
"Yes, my Lord?"  
  
"Take Goyle with you. Find Skeeter and bring her here. This meeting will be put on hold until she is here." And they were dismissed. The Dark Lord strode from the room without a second glance and Scarlett felt relief pooling in her stomach.   
  
"We will walk through the Manor," Severus told her firmly as they exited the dining hall. She agreed with that, liking the idea very much, as she had found the halls familiar to her. They walked in silence, the clicks of their shoes against the marble making the silence almost deafening and then there were footsteps, hurrying towards them.   
  
Scarlett turned in surprise when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "I wish to talk to Miss Prince, a moment, if I may," Lucius Malfoy spoke, his voice thick as if he didn't wish to be noticed. Severus stiffened beside her. Scarlett glanced at him, but nodded to Lucius. "I will bring her to the meeting once he calls," Lucius informed Severus.  
  
"Very well. I think it not be said what will happen if she returns to the meeting harmed-"  
  
"Understood." He began to walk. "If we can walk to my private office, Miss Prince," Lucius said, glancing back at her. Scarlett glanced at her father once more, before following the man that had clothed and fed her for eighteen years.   



	34. Secrets

Going to his private study, the one the Dark Lord did not use for his own possession, meant walking to the complete other side of the Manor. So, Scarlett stayed quiet beside her previous master as the man's eyes darted to stare at the portraits. Almost as if he knew he was being watched, and they weren't safe. It made Scarlett feel slightly on edge.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy?" she asked timidly, causing the man to glance at her sharply, as if forgetting her presence. She took note of his haggard expression, his obvious lack of sleep and any decent sunlight. He looked... frail, sick. And it broke her heart. "Is everything alright?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, yes, everything is... is fine. Or is going to be." He quickened his pace, however, and Scarlett was nearly jogging to keep up with him.   
  
"What did you wish to talk to me about?" she asked, curiously. He didn't answer, or seem to hear. Perhaps it was a private matter... Was Narcissa sick? Last she had heard, the woman was fine, but with the Dark Lord living here... you could never be so certain about someone's health. The private study was in the Master wing, located much like the place she had grown up in, and attached to the master lounge, but Scarlett noted that they didn't approach that door. He opened the study door and strode through, expecting her to follow.  
  
Scarlett did so more hesitantly than his confident steps. When she was a servant here, the Master wing was forbidden to her. She had only remember bits of it from her childhood, when Lucius and Narcissa had moved into it after Abraxus's death. Turning, she shut the door quietly, and was surprised by how close he was when she turned back.  
  
"Are you trained in Occulmency?" Lucius asked, his voice thick and raspy. Scarlett didn't see what that had to do with anything.   
  
"I... yes, sir. But-"  
  
And then his shoulders seemed to sag with this emotion that appeared out of nowhere and Scarlett didn't know what it was at first, until his anguished eyes opened yet again and he was staring at her. Regret.   
  
"I've done something grevious. You must know that I never... never meant any of the harm I caused you," Lucius rasped, his eyes closing as if in pain. "It was the safest place for you, to go to servitude." What? "Could you imagine? The... the public getting ahold of the information that you were a foster daughter? What if the Dark Lord were to return? You would have... you would have been much more involved than you already are."   
  
"I-I don't understand," Scarlett admitted. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"And then the baby," Lucius murmured, as if he didn't hear her. "A baby in the house of the Dark Lord's Inner Circle member? There were already rumors... whispers of his return, even when you were still pregnant. Could you imagine what would have happened? Once he had returned? If the child was not dead within a few days, the child would have been used for something that he could have never been saved from - something so dark... it was the best for him-"  
  
"Lucius, you're not making any sense," Scarlett interrupted, taking his arm gently, almost scared to touch him. She didn't want him angry at her. But he let her grip his arm and steer him to his chair behind his desk. And then Scarlett moved around the table, sitting in the warm chair across from him. "Explain from the beginning-"  
  
But still, Lucius wouldn't listen. "The Dark Lord had a plan. A plan for immortality and he would use anyone and anything to get it, even a baby. He's done it before. Your brother... He tried to kill your brother for immortality. Who's to say he wouldn't do it to Tyler too?"   
  
"My... my brother?" Scarlett whispered, fear coiling in her stomach. He knew? He knew Lily was her mother?  
  
"You look just like her," Lucius whispered. "You've always looked just like her. So much like the both of your parents that it was a wonder that no one else has guessed it."  
  
"But-but you said... you told me that you took him to a ritual, to resurrect the Dark Lord-" Scarlett insisted. What was he saying? That he knew where... he couldn't have known where Tyler was, yet he was the only one that could possibly know at that moment.   
  
"I had to say something," Lucius whispered. "You couldn't know he was safe. You were untrained. Any thought was easily accessed. If he would have know I saved a child from near certain death? That I had protected a child so that he wouldn't be immortal? It would mean all of our deaths...."  
  
"You protected him," Scarlett said softly. She felt tears gathering in her eyes as she gazed at the graying man, her hand flying to her mouth as she tried to contain her emotions. "You knew after all this time... Why didn't you tell me after?"  
  
"Never had a chance.... Never ... never could," Lucius mumbled. "We never saw each other except for meetings... except for now... and I'm telling you," Lucius insisted.  
  
"Do you know where he is?" Scarlett asked, biting her lip. She could feel the hope rising in her stomach, promising her something... perhaps a location? A son? She didn't know.  
  
"I kept his name the same," Lucius spoke so suddenly that his voice was urgent, and his words nearly ran together. Scarlett struggled to understand. "Tyler Prince. I've always known your name... it was on your blanket... the day Narcissa begged me to keep you... I took him to a home with distnict instructions he was he keep the name on the letter. Tyler Prince-" Oh, Merlin, her son.... her son was safe. "So that one day, when the Dark Lord was gone for good, you could find him - you would find him easily... or when you were free... we never intended for you to be a servant for so long. Narcissa and I agreed until the age of eighteen, but we were too late... too late for you... the Dark Lord found you... only three weeks left... I never expected.... so fast. Never wanted... to happen. The way we treated you, unacceptable.... Never forgive myself. Must look to the orphanage... there is no time.... You can't wait until he is vanquished.... Not safe. . . You must look to the place... Have Dumbledore take you there... your father.... I'm sorry I couldn't do more-"  
  
"No," Scarlett disagreed. "Lucius, you've done everything!" Scarlett surged out of her seat, tears still in her eyes as she gripped his hands, trying to stop from crying. She couldn't cry. "You've done everything, thank you."  
  
"But I won't remember we had this conversation," Lucius said urgently. "It's safer... safer for us all... Safer for you. Narcissa.... Tyler... Me. I've extracted all of my memories on the matter, some of yours over the years... the truth. The truth, I swear it-" He presented a bottle to her, a necklace, with a vial on the end, and a swirling blue substance inside. It reminded her of the memory she extracted from Lavender. "You will find him in here. Find him... make things right... don't let the Dark Lord know... Don't let the Dark Lord know that you have his location... Don't let him find Tyler, Scarlett... Don't let him..."  
  
"Mr. Malfoy?" Scarlett whispered. She released a shuddering breath as he began to mumble, apologizing, pleading for her to find him, and then apologizing again, in a torturous circle that continued and continued, making her heart shatter into thousands of pieces. The man that she had cherish, had loved so much as a child, and then grew up to hate, was so broken before her. "Lucy?" she murmured, touching his cheek. He was burning up.   
  
But still his murmuring didn't cease. She only had one thing to do. "Gren?" Scarlett called. The elf appeared, fidgeting, worried. "Get Narcissa immediately, do you understand? Bring her here. Tell her something's wrong with Lucius."  
  
The elf didn't need to be told twice. He had been in charge of Lucius and Narcissa's personal requests, relaying them to the rest of the staff. She trusted him. Scarlett clutched the vial in her hand, and then slowly wrapped her arms wround Lucius's shoulders, pulling him into an embrace as she tried to calm him down. "Lucy... I'll find him. I promise you I'll find him. I forgive you...."  
  
"Destroy any documents," Lucius mumbled. "Don't leave a trace of him."  
  
Narcissa appeared so suddenly that it caught Scarlett off guard and she looked at him desperately. "Something's wrong with him."  
  
Narcissa pulled Scarlett away from the man, was sure she had the vial in her hands, it seemed, before pointing her wand at Lucius, casting an almost silent, "Obliviate." And then Scarlett took a few steps away from her. She had never been scared of Narcissa ever before, never like she was in that moment - terrified.  
  
"Wait..." Scarlett murmured. "Don't obliviate me, please-"  
  
"You won't be," Narcissa promised gently. She smoothed Lucius's hair as the man seemed to calm, and his muttering stopped. "He'll need rest for a moment... Scarlett, I need you to trust me."  
  
"I've always trusted you," Scarlett murmured. "But... you can't... you can't obliviate me... please-"  
  
"No, you need to obliviate me," Narcissa said firmly. "You know the spell, I know you do. Focus on erasing all trace of Tyler's location from me, all trace of anything I know about him being well."  
  
Scarlett hesitated, before nodding. "Why?"  
  
"I know what Lucius has given you... and I can't know it, or he'd kill me... please, Scarlett."  
  
"Obliviate." Scarlett saw the woman sag at the spell's effects and she worked on only erasing the memories that contained Tyler's whereabouts, talking about Tyler's whereabouts, or telling her. And when the spell was done, Scarlett placed the necklace around her neck, tucking it into her sweater in an attempt to hide it, and then she stared at the Malfoys as they both began to stir.   
  
"What are you doing here, Miss Prince?" Lucius drawled, firmer than he had been when she had walked off with him. Almost normal. Scarlett swallowed, hesitating, before sitting. Narcissa glanced around her, as if confused as to why she was there.   
  
"You wished to speak to me."  
  
Lucius frowned, as though confused, before he cleared his throat, trying to hide it. He still looked sick, like he had a fever, but he had more color than he did earlier. "Yes... as I'm sure you've read in the Prophet, the Malfoy family is funding the Dark Lord's efforts."   
  
"I... I heard, sir," Scarlett said quietly. "And thank you-"  
  
"But I was under the impression you were searching yourself." She didn't know how he had heard that. She swallowed in fear. "So I was curious as to how your efforts were looking."  
  
"There's simply no trace of him, sir," Scarlett replied honestly. "We don't know where he is in the slightest. Where he could have been, at one point, is... well, it's completely different from where he could be now. Maybe moving, or traveling, I don't know. So we have no place to start and-"  
  
"I see," Lucius drawled. He glanced at Narcissa. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm unsure," Narcissa replied. "I was reading in lounge when an elf came to me, but I don't remember what happened after that."   
  
They were suspicious. Which she supposed was normal, but they couldn't dwell on it, as at that precise moment Lucius's mark burned. He glanced to Scarlett. "The ellusive Rita Skeeter has arrived." Scarlett didn't know if he was mocking her or informing her, but he rose from his seat just as Scarlett did and offered an arm to her, which she hesitantly took, and then Lucius apparated.   
  
The Dining Hall was coated with the ominous presence of Rita Skeeter whimpering in the far corner, Crabbe standing beside her with his wand pointed at her.   
  
"Oh, Scarlett! Just the one I've been looking forward to arriving," the Dark Lord said jovially. "Look at who we found for you!" Scarlett lifted her gaze, seeing the woman sitting on the ground, shaking, crying... She had never met the woman before in her life, had never even seen her. She didn't want to hurt the woman, however. It wasn't Scarlett. Scarlett didn't do things that way.  
  
"I'm glad she's been found, my Lord," Scarlett admitted.  
  
"Crabbe, bring her to the table." Scarlett seated herself in her usual seat and watched the blonde, albeit pretty woman, be thrust towards the center of the room, pressed up against the table. "Rita Skeeter... Do you know where you are?"  
  
The woman whimpered, nodding and Scarlett noticed that her glasses were askew, red frames that were almost cat-like. Her clothing was dirty, as if she had been dragged through the street, and her eyes were wide in fear.   
  
"I said, DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?" The Dark Lord shouted. Scarlett jumped, before swallowing down her fear. She couldn't show fear here.   
  
"Y-yes, I- P-please d-d-don't kill m-me!" Rita rushed out.  
  
"P-please d-d-d-on't," the Dark Lord mocked. "I will tell you this, Miss Skeeter, it's certainly on a long list of things I want to do to you." And then the torturing began. Rita Skeeter screamed, and cried and begged them to stop, begged them to let her go.   
  
"Do you know the location of Tyler Zabini?"  
  
"The-the boy? No-No, I swear-"  
  
"You've been so naughty," the Dark Lord hissed. "Discovered secrets you shouldn't have. What should I do with that?"   
  
"I don't know anything, other than what I published, I swear," Rita breathed, her voice light and almost fading. "I don't know where he is."  
  
"Such a shame, I would have kept you alive if you had known," the Dark Lord sighed. "Crabbe, have your fun."  
  
Her screams were so deafeningly loud that it reminded Scarlett of the many, many times she had heard them from the halls, in the middle of cleaning - the sounds of someone screaming before they died. Would that be how Scarlett ended? She didn't know.   
  
"Let me go!" Rita cried. "Please, I won't publish anymore-"  
  
"But you see," the Dark Lord hissed, "if we let you go, that will just make you a threat to us... and I do not like threats... Crabbe, kill her."   
  
She was dead in an instant and Scarlett couldn't seem to move her eyes away from the body as it thumped to the ground.   
  
"Deliver her to the Ministry," the Dark Lord snapped stiffly. "I want her to be a warning to the rest of the media. Any article that exposes anything that could possible ruin what we've worked so hard to establish? I will personally become involved." Scarlett swallowed. That was very bad. "You're all dismissed... except for Scarlett. I'd like a discussion in my study." Merlin, she was just going to people's studies constantly, it seemed.   
  
"As you wish, my Lord," Scarlett murmured, moving her eyes away from Rita Skeeter. The walk was considerably shorter than to the private study, and Severus made eye contact with her, silently telling her to do whatever the Dark Lord asked. Scarlett already knew.   
  
"Have you ever seen Rita Skeeter before?" the Dark Lord questioned, almost conversationally.  
  
"No, my Lord," Scarlett admitted. "Never."  
  
"She is not what you expected?"  
  
"I expected ... younger, I think, sir, like a school girl gossiper." The Dark Lord seemed amused. He opened the door to the study and gestured for her enter, before he followed her.   
  
"Take a seat, my dear," the Dark Lord spoke, gesturing to the couch. He gazed at her, as if studying her. "You are looking better since we first met."  
  
"I should hope so, my Lord," Scarlett answered. "I have been granted clothes that actually fit me, and three meals a day. It is more than I can say I have ever hoped for."  
  
He stared at her a moment, before nodding. "I suppose that would be true. I have been very pleased with how much you have done, Scarlett. So very pleased. No one has pleased me as much so quickly."   
  
"Thank you, my Lord. That is great praise, coming from you." He nodded once, as if he already knew, approaching the fireplace as he talked.  
  
"Your work is diligent and your intelligence... it is much like how I was at your age, a thirst for knowledge. Knowledge is power, do you think so?" She simply nodded when he glanced back at her. Suddenly, Scarlett felt Nagini slithering up the chair, pulling herself so close that Scarlett could feel her on her skin, even through the sweater. "And how do you feel about the cause, Scarlett?"  
  
"I will support your cause until my death, my Lord," Scarlett said hollowly. "I am loyal solely to you. Dumbledore is a fool that has only ever hurt me."  
  
"Will you take the Mark?" Merlin, that was the question. That was what he wanted. Dumbledore made her promise to do what he asked. And Severus... Severus looked like he knew that was what was going to happen tonight. How could he not warn her?   
  
"I could only be honored, my Lord," Scarlett admitted.  
  
"Due to the fact that you are needed, and that it will not be conventional... I believe there are many different places we can place it without others seeing it." He turned and she noticed a hot brand in his hand, and he was approaching. Merlin, a brand? Again? Nagini coiled around her, holding her against the chair, and Scarlett swallowed as he approached, lifting the sweater so that her abdomen was exposed. "No one will look here."   
  
It was excruciating, not only the heat, but the sound of her flesh burning, the smell of it, and then the snake coiling so tightly around her, she thought she might snap in two. And then the heat was gone, but the pain was not, and she drew in a haggard breath, desperately trying not to cry. She had to be strong.   
  
"So... strong," the Dark Lord hissed. His hand came to her cheek, drawing her gaze up to his own. Their eyes met, completely on accident, and he brushed a tear away. "Though, I suppose that you are familiar with that sensation."  
  
"It's happened once or twice," she agreed steadily, but she hated how her voice cracked, from the urge to scream.   
  
"Your loyalty now belongs solely to me," the Dark Lord said firmly. "Wait in the hallway. I have much to discuss with your father."  
  
"Yes-my Lord. Thank you for this... this honor," Scarlett murmured to him. He cast the brand once more into the fire and regarded her silently. When she stepped out the door, it was with great effort to keep from crying out, to keep from showing pain. She spotted her father, standing anxiously in the hallway, and when he took in her appearance, her state, he pursed his lips in agitation. She leaned against the wall, the cool marble feeling wonderful against her bare back. "He wishes to speak to you," she murmured.  
  
Severus nodded once, eyeing her, before ducking into the room and the door closed with a click. Scarlett didn't want to glance down, but she did and saw that amongst the pieces of her flesh, and the blood, there was the dark mark, a black object that professed her loyalty to anyone that knew about it... but not anyone that knew her.  
  
She felt tears gather in her eyes at the sight, and she kept her gaze towards the ceiling, drawing in a breath for strength, and began to count. Counting was the best way to keep her mind off of everything. And Madame Pomfrey had told her that such wounds would only be able to last about an hour untreated... she had fifty eight minutes left. And then she risked dying, or infection. It wasn't a way Scarlett wanted to go.  
  



	35. Tainted

She had been standing there for precisely twenty three minutes, eighteen seconds when the study door opened. The pain was everywhere, so she didn't jerk - that made it worse. Severus appeared, shutting the door behind him, and took a good look at her again before sighing. "Can you walk?"  
  
"I think so," Scarlett admitted softly. She thought so, at any rate. She had walked out, but that was before she had tried to relax... and her side was killing her more than it had when the branding had happened. "But... I'm not too sure."  
  
He clasped her arm, and she took a deep breath instictively. They apparated directly from that location, leaving her to cry out in pain as they landed, just at the gates of Hogwarts. A flick of his wand caused a doe to spring out and she squeezed her eyes shut, praying that the pain would go away soon. "Albus, I need you to meet me at the gate. You must apparate Scarlett directly to the hospital wing."   
  
"No more apparation," Scarlett murmured. "Please."   
  
"It's the best way to get you to the Hospital Wing," Severus said gently. He knelt down, onto the wet and cold ground, and inspected the wound. "It's very clean, it looks. I don't think you run a risk of infection."  
  
"I do in twenty nine minutes," Scarlett admitted to him. He raised an eyebrow, asking her to elaborate. "Infection begins for these wounds an hour after given. Madame Pomfrey told me that." And suddenly Albus was there.  
  
"What has happened?" Albus demanded.  
  
Severus got to his feet, his hand still on her arm, for support, but she still felt woozy... light headed. Was she going to pass out? She didn't know... but she knew she was starting to feel like she was spinning. "I don't feel good," she admitted. "Dizzy... this is what it feels like to faint, right?"  
  
"She's been Marked. She needs to get to the Hospital Wing as soon as possible," Severus snapped. "I will go and retreive a potion, but there is little that can be done..." He grabbed her as she swayed dangerously. "I'll meet you at the Hospital Wing, okay, Scarlett?"  
  
She nodded, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Twenty four minutes."  
  
"Albus, take her now."   
  
And then the firm grip from Severus's hand was replaced by the Headmaster gripping both of her elbows. "Right, I'll need you to take a deep breath, dear." She sucked in a sharp breath and the crippling pain made her cry out again. The cool, crisp room in the hospital wing usually calmed her, but this time... it was anything but calming. Madame Pomfrey was working on another patient, it seemed, when Scarlett and Dumbledore arrived. Scarlett wasn't sure though, because her eyes were still screwed shut and she was breathing heavily.  
  
"What happened to her?" Madame Pomfrey demanded.   
  
"She's been marked, Poppy," Albus said gently. "I think it best we make sure Miss Brown doesn't see this-" There was a flick as curtains closed around another bed. And then Scarlett was being lowered down onto a cot, but the bending of her body, at the waist, was excruciating. And she couldn't help the cry that left her.  
  
"Shhh, shh, dear, it's alright, we'll make it alright," Poppy promised her and Scarlett laid back onto the bed, a groan leaving her lips as Madame Pomfrey rolled up her sweater. "Oh my-"  
  
"Twenty-two minutes," Scarlett murmured. "You have to seal it so it doesn't get infected-"  
  
"Yes, yes, right away... Albus, I need you to keep her still. I'll go-" She heard Madame Pomfrey flit off, and then felt a hand soothingly smoothing down her hair on her forehead. Scarlett kept her eyes shut, breathing deeply in an attempt to relax, to ease her muscles so that they wouldn't tense. "Scarlett?" Madame Pomfrey was back and Scarlett heard the uncorking of a vial. "I need to disinfect the wound. This will sting very badly."  
  
She gripped her hands tightly, pressing the clasped appendages to her forehead. "Ready when you are."  
  
At first, when it was just a few drops, it burned minimally and she groaned, taking a deep breath before Madame Pomfrey tipped the rest of the potion over the wound. The scream that tore through Scarlett's throat came out faster than she could swallow it and it broke off into a sob, her hands pressing against her head to keep her from moving too much. She didn't want to make the wound worse.   
  
"There, no infection," Madame Pomfrey soothed. "You're doing very good. I... I'm afraid there isn't much I can do... The wound is different from others... Severus might know more-" The doors opened and she heard her father's steps approaching.   
  
"I heard screaming," he said flatly, and Scarlett opened her eyes long enough to see that he had a vial in his hands - a creamy pink liquid that looked like a liquid sweet. She closed her eyes tightly.   
  
"I don't think I can hold anything down, so I'd best not drink-"  
  
"It needs to be applied to the wound every six hours, on the hour," Severus said firmly. "Rubbed into the wound, so it will hurt. It will numb the pain, but not by much. It's all that can be done. The wound has to heal naturally." Merlin, that sounded painful. "Apply it at midnight, so that the hourly schedule will work within your constraints of classes. Not a minute before, not a minute less than the hour, is that understood?"   
  
"But my first afternoon class starts precisely at noon-"  
  
"I'll write a note," Madame Pomfrey said immediately. "Medical reasons. You need to see me every day at noon until it's healed... we'll apply it here."  
  
"You did very good, Miss Prince... What did he want?"  
  
"He killed her," Scarlett murmured. "Skeeter. And.... and he kept telling me how good I did and if I was loyal and then..." She swallowed.   
  
"You must restrain yourself from physical activity for the time being," Severus said simply. "A feather charm on your bag so that you don't agitate the wound. A few shortened paths ot your classes... no running."  
  
"I won't," Scarlett promised quietly. She felt her throat get slick with the need to cry. She just wanted to go to bed. "Can I go to my dorm, Professor? Or... or no? I just want to sleep-"  
  
"Severus, I believe you should escort her to her dormitory-"  
  
"I'd like to wrap the wound, so it isn't agitated. And I'll give you some extra wrappings, Scarlett, so that you can change the dressings every six hours, or however long you feel it necessary. Just be gentle."  
  
"Okay," Scarlett murmured. She was asked to stand and it took a bit of help from both Severus and Albus, but once she was up, she felt light headed again and took a few deep breaths as the soft cloth began to wrap around her torso.   
  
"I'd like a meeting, tomorrow night, in my office, Miss Prince. To discuss... this."  
  
"Of course, sir," Scarlett said immediately, glancing towards the Headmaster.   
  
"I'll send someone to bring you," Dumbledore said gently. "But for now, rest. I think it best you get a day off from your studies-"  
  
"No," Scarlett said quickly. "Please, sir, I'll... I'll be fine. The pain isn't so bad... and it's something I've experienced before... I'll be fine. I can't afford to miss a day of classes."  
  
"On the contrary, I think the classes can't afford to miss a day of you," Severus muttered. Scarlett flushed but winced as Madame Pomfrey tied the bandage tightly and stood suddenly.  
  
"All patched up," Madame Pomfrey said carefully. "Now, if you need anything, you come straight to me, or have an elf fetch me." Scarlett nodded, taking the pink potion and her wand from Severus's hands. "You take an easy, and if you need to relax from a few classes, I'm sure Albus will notify your teachers for you."  
  
"Thank you," Scarlett said quietly. She tried not to think about the mark marring her skin as she rolled her sweater down, covering the bandage.  
  
"May I ask, why it wasn't the arm?" Madame Pomfrey questioned.  
  
"He didn't want others to see it," she said quietly. She pulled some stray hairs out of her face, biting her lip. "Though... I don't see how it's safe to give it to me at all. The risk that someone would see it-"  
  
"A great one," Albus said gently. "Severus... do you think if her friends knew...?"  
  
Her father sighed, as if annoyed. "Yes... I believe them knowing would be best... But they will have to be careful about it. Potter's mind is still... hesitant to occlude."  
  
"It could be a tactic... We could tell the Dark Lord that it's... a way to show them that I'm the innocent little girl that's being bullied by the Dark Lord into doing things... I mean, they know the truth, but... he would believe it. And they're bound to see it. The girl's showers aren't exactly a private place... Hermione could see and then-"  
  
"Yes, yes, very well," Severus cut her off. "Just tell them as discreetly as possible and make sure it is only people you trust." She nodded.  
  
"Get to bed, Scarlett," Madame Pomfrey said quietly. "You need as much rest as you can get." Scarlett agreed, biting her lip as she thanked them all again, before following Professor Snape out of the Infirmary, towards the Gryffindor Tower.   
  
It was silent, mostly, except for her occassional hiss of pain as she would walk down the stairs slightly too fast, and have to catch herself.   
  
"If you run out of potion, which you will after a few days, notify me and I will give you more. Apply the tonic discreetly. And use silencing charms, because the pain will be worse for the first few days." She swallowed. She had heard him the first time, but he seemed distressed. "You ... behaved beautifully."  
  
"Thank you, sir," Scarlett said quietly. "To be quite honest, I was panicking on the inside."  
  
"What did Lucius wish to talk to you about?"  
  
Scarlett bit her lip... "I'm not sure. He didn't start talking until we got to his study and then he was rambling, mumbling and I got scared so I called an elf to get Narcissa... She calmed him down... Once I can make sense of it all, sir, I'll let you know."  
  
"Very well," Severus said quietly. "Did he mention Tyler in any of his ramblings?"  
  
Did he? Scarlett nodded slowly. "A few times... I think he's gone a tad bit around the bend, sir..."  
  
"How did that make you feel?"  
  
"Heartbroken," Scarlett admitted. "He was always so strong, so statue like when I was a child... And seeing him now, he is ... broken. He's... so weak - a shell of himself. It's very sad to see."  
  
"I have known Lucius for a very long time, but I can say that he has never looked as he did tonight," Severus said carefully. "I fear that soon he will not be the man he once was."  
  
"You think that he will turn into Bellatrix? Or something like her? I've heard stories... about her, but I've never had the misfortune of crossing her myself, save for collecting her cloak," Scarlett admitted, thinking of her first task for the Dark Lord.  
  
"I fear he may have already turned into her." Scarlett shivered at the very thought. Bellatrix was a foul woman, most cruel in everything she did. For Lucius to turn into that... it would most likely shatter Narcissa - Narcissa loved him so very dearly.  
  
When they reached the portrait, Severus turned to her. "Notify me if anything goes wrong."  
  
"I will, sir. Thank you..." She gave a small sigh and glanced at the portrait. "Arcana."  
  
"You missed dinner. I'm sure if you ask the elves, they will bring you something." Scarlett was sure they would as well. He left her staring at the portrait hole and she heard the Fat Friar speak up.   
  
"Well, are you going to go inside or just stand there all night?" She was careful as she climbed through the portrait hole and stumbled slightly, but caught herself as she grabbed the wall. Pain shot through her and she took a deep breath before taking a few steps into the room. A sense of deja vu washed over her at the sight of her friends sitting around, waiting worriedly. The entire Common Room had been cleared.   
  
A glance at the mantle told her that it was nearly eleven at night. Merlin, she was hungry and tired. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat on the couch together, staring worriedly at the table in front of them. And Ginny was seated in the far chair, in front of the aclove Scarlett liked to sit in and read - and the aclove... Cormac sat there, one of his legs propped up and another dangling down.   
  
He immediately jumped down when he saw her standing there, biting her lip anxiously as she gazed at all five of her friends. And then suddenly Cormac was hugging her and his arms were tight around her torso, making pain shoot up her body. She choked back a cry, pushing him away from her and standing there, breathing deeply, and pressing her hands to her face to keep from crying.   
  
"I-I'm sorry, what did I do? Are you okay?" Cormac asked immediately.   
  
"Fine, fine, just... just hold on," Scarlett murmured. It took a few minutes, but once she dropped her hands, everyone had risen, and they were staring at her as if she was a ghost.   
  
"What happened?" Harry demanded. "Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?"  
  
"Not... no," Scarlett admitted. "I... I did as asked of them, of everyone and... it just really hurts right now. Severus says it'll fade away after a few days, and I have a potion to help heal it-"  
  
"Heal what?" Ginny demanded.   
  
Scarlett hesitated before gripping the bottom of her sweater, playing with it. And then she swallowed tightly, closing her eyes as she lifted up the hem, showing them the bandage wrapped tightly around her.  
  
"They didn't," Harry whispered.  
  
"Is that...?" Cormac's voice died off. "That's where you were?"  
  
"He Marked you?" Ginny gasped. "Scarlett! I thought- I thought he wasn't interested in you!"  
  
"He was," Scarlett said quietly. "He always has been..." She glanced at Cormac, biting her lip. "I haven't been exactly truthful... I couldn't be... It was something that was supposed to be secret. There's a reason I'm free...there's a reason that I'm still not a servant to Malfoy Manor."  
  
"You-know-who," Cormac muttered.  
  
"He found me in the depths of the manor, thought I'd be of interest... a way to get close to Harry and get Order information - information that he couldn't find out with other means.... So he had Lucius free me and then Severus take me to the Order, where... well, where I learned how to be normal... normaler, at any rate. And then I came here... They know, Dumbledore knows... everyone that was needed to get me here knows."  
  
"Bloody hell," Cormac whispered as Scarlett released the sweater. "How often have you been going to his little meetings?"  
  
"This is the second one... The first one was Saturday night... He wasn't too happy with the information leak." She moved towards the free chair hesitantly. "I think I need to sit down." Immediately, Cormac had her arm, gently lowering her into the chair. "Thanks..."  
  
"So why tonight? Why so soon? In the middle of the week?" Hermione demanded. "That's unusual."  
  
"We told him about how Rita Skeeter got the information for the article," Scarlett said quietly. "Transforming into a beetle, sneaking into my dorm, stealing my diary, and then sneaking into Severus's office to find the potion results.."  
  
"But I thought it was Lavender who did that," Ron said confused. "The diary thing..."  
  
"Right," Scarlett stressed. "And if we told him it was Lavender? Lavender would be the one dead while strung up in the Ministry right now-"  
  
"Wait, what?" Ginny cried.  
  
"Skeeter's dead," Scarlett said quietly, her voice cracking. "We planted false memories, made it so it looked like Skeeter did it all... we couldn't have Lavender killed... She's just a girl... And the Dark Lord was so angry." Scarlett took a deep breath. "She screamed for hours and hours and I was so sure my head was going to cave in and then... and then she was just gone... one spell." Scarlett glanced towards the fire. "And he had Crabbe... uh, Mr. Crabbe, take her to the Ministry, as a warning... if anyone exposed secrets about him or his... his followers, they'd follow her example."   
  
"That's bloody awful," Ron murmured.  
  
"But... but that's not all," Scarlett said after a moment of silence. "There was a break as they went to retreive Skeeter... Lucius pulled me to his private study."  
  
Harry stiffened. "And?"  
  
"I know where Tyler is," Scarlett said softly. "At least... I think I do." She pulled the necklace out from her sweater, exposing the blue vial. "Lucius gave this to me. He said... he said all I needed to know to find him was here, and that... that I needed to erase every paper trail I used to find him." Ginny's mouth opened in shock. "And... he kept saying how sorry he was, he kept making me promise to find him, to hide him-"  
  
"You think he did it because he cared for him?" Hermione whispered.  
  
Scarlett hesitated. "I don't know, but I know that he didn't do it to hurt me or hurt Tyler. He was so guilty, so heartbroken over it... it was so ... sad." She swallowed. "I'm going to review the memories on Sunday, the same time, same place," Scarlett said softly. "If you guys want to see them... you're welcome to. I have nothing to hide with them." She glanced at the five of them. "I need to talk to Blaise about it... I think he'd like to know... I know he would-"  
  
"What's the potion for?" Ron blurted.  
  
Scarlett glanced at the potion in her hands. "It will numb the wound... I have to rub it in every six hours exactly. So I need to set an alarm on my wand and find a secluded spot to do it in."  
  
"Shouldn't Madame Pomfrey do that?" Cormac asked. "I mean, I get you're training to be a healer and all-"  
  
"I can't bother her four times a day," Scarlett interrupted. "It'll be fine. It's the only thing that will help the wound."  
  
"So, when do you need to put it on next?" Hermione asked.  
  
Scarlett glanced at the clock. Fourteen minutes left. "Exactly midnight."  
  
"Do you need help?" Cormac asked.  
  
She hesitated. "Maybe... I don't know. I haven't really... looked at it since ... well, since it happened."  
  
"Have you eaten dinner?" Ginny asked.  
  
Scarlett shook her head. "I'm not hungry. I don't think I could hold anything down, anyway... I'll wait until breakfast... it'll feel better then."  
  
"You sound sure," Ron commented.  
  
Scarlett gave him a careful smile. "This isn't the first brand I've gotten."  
  
But fourteen minutes later, when the clock chimed midnight, Scarlett took a deep breath and uncorked the bottle before using Cormac's waiting hand to stand. She passed the bottle to him. "Hold that for a second, please-"  
  
"You're going to do it here?" Ron cried.  
  
"Shhh," Ginny hissed.  
  
"I placed a silencing charm up," Hermione stated. "Scarlett... do you think laying down would be better? I'm not a healer, but... but if you tell me what to do, I can do it-"  
  
Scarlett was almost relieved with the offer. "Yeah... yeah, okay." She carefully undid the wrappings, wincing slightly at the bits that stuck to her wound, and once it was completely off, she tossed it into the fire, before taking Ron and Harry's offered hands and sitting down on the table, and then slowly reclining back.  
  
It burned horribly. Once she was lying flat she took a careful breath, before nodding, her hands much like they had been in the Infirmary. "Severus says to rub it into the wound, but it needs to last for a few days, at least, so... just dab a bit on your fingers or .. or something and..."  
  
"This is going to hurt," Hermione warned. Scarlett closed her eyes as Cormac knelt down beside her, holding the potions jar out to Hermione. Hermione took it carefully, before Cormac's hands began to do much like Dumbledore had done - soothingly play with her hair. "Ready?"  
  
"I'm always ready," Scarlett murmured. She took a deep breath as she heard Hermione get her fingers wet with the potion.   
  
"Bloody hell," Ron murmured. "I might pass out."  
  
"Alright, and... now-" Scarlett sucked in a sharp breath, but pressed her hands to her forehead, breathing as heavily as the pain. Merlin, it hurt as much as the disinfectant.   
  
"Just a little while more," Ginny encouraged.  
  
"Just everyone shut up," Scarlett ground out. "Talking isn't helping-" Her breath sucked in sharply as Hermione's fingers pressed at the wound and she held back the cry. "Please tell me-"  
  
"Done," Hermione answered her unfinished question and Scarlett sighed in relief, feeling the potion slowly starting to numb her wound.  
  
"What time is it?" Scarlett asked quietly.  
  
"Just five minutes after."  
  
"Exactly?" Scarlett questioned.  
  
"Exactly," Ron promised. Scarlett set the alarm on her wand and just breathed for a moment with her eyes closed.  
  
"Do you have any more wrappings?"   
  
But a distinct pop answered Ginny's question and she heard Dobby exclaiming that he had "Missy's wrappys." Scarlett was helped up and it was Ginny this time that wrapped her torso, before Scarlett tied it tightly.   
  
They decided to leave for bed, and Scarlett glanced at Cormac, giving him a grateful smile. "Thank you, you guys, for waiting up for me... And... why was Lavender in the Infirmary?"  
  
"She glared at me so I broke her nose again," Ginny said simply.   
  
Scarlett couldn't help but giggle at that. Only Ginny. Scarlett gathered up the extra gauze, and her bag Dobby had delivered, before following up her friends to their dorms. She could use a nice long sleep, now that she couldn't train at three in the morning.   
  
She sat beside Draco in Arithmancy, her necklace from Lucius still around her neck, but hidden, and her gaze on the two Slytherins as they talked to one another.  
  
"You okay?" Blaise asked her suddenly as she sat stiffly, not leaning forward on the table like she usually did when she talked to them.  
  
"Yeah.. uh, I'll be fine. Look, I, uh, talked to Lucius last night..." She said it so quietly that she knew only they would hear. "And... he gave me a vial of memories."  
  
"Memories?"  
  
"About Tyler," Scarlett said meaningfully. "I think it might tell me where it is. But I haven't looked at them yet... I'm having a viewing party in the Room of Requirement, same time same place... I'd like both of you to be there. I think it'd be important."  
  
Draco pursed his lips. "My father just gave these to you? What do you mean?"  
  
"He... just gave them to me," Scarlett admitted. "And then got really loopy... Look, I'll explain it all on Sunday..." She didn't have time to explain it now. She was trying to figure out how to catch up on her homework for the day.   
  
"Did you hear that Weasley actually knows how to read?" Draco asked her suddenly. "I caught him in the library wtih a Potions book yesterday."  
  
So her little piece of encouragement had worked. "Oh, yes, I did know. He wants to be an Auror, and he needed to study."  
  
Blaise raised an eyebrow, and was about to ask, until Romilda sat in her seat and Blaise scowled, scooting his chair away from her and putting his head against his desk, yet again. He still was not pleased with his new partner. "You should switch with Potter, Zabini," Draco snorted. "Then she gets Potter. And you'd get a partner that'll do all the work for you."  
  
"Like I do for you?" Scarlett muttered. "Yeah, well, I didn't exactly do the project last night-"  
  
"Wait, what?" Draco demanded.  
  
"I didn't get back until eleven thirty and ... I sort of fell asleep," Scarlett admitted.  
  
"So you didn't finish the project that's due today? Way to fucking go, Prince."  
  
Scarlett rolled her eyes, placing her feather-light back on her desk. "I did, however, manage to calculate that you're an insufferable arse, but then what else is new?"   
  
Blaise laughed, his shoulders shaking as he didn't lift his head from the table. "Prince!"  
  
Scarlett pulled out a parchment from her bag, opening it up. It was their project, a crisp piece of parchment that had been completed in the early hours of the morning. "Oh, wait, that's right, I finished it this morning at four am because you don't do any work," Scarlett pointed out.  
  
"If you'll recall, we agreed I'd do twenty." Scarlett sighed, rolling up the parchment. "And for that project, twenty percent was just signing my name." Twenty percent was... what? No.   
  
She rolled her eyes. "I expect a bit more contribution than your name... Afterall, I had to ... to clean your room, and dispose of... of all the bodies - and do you know how many nightmares I had in my cold cell?"  
  
"Don't you pull that crap on me again," Draco warned her.   
  
"And all the times Lucius would hit me with the cane... it hurt so much-"   
  
"Forty, but it won't change again," Draco snapped. "Got it?"  
  
Scarlett grinned triumphantly. "Good."  
  
"Bloody fucking Gryffindors," Draco muttered, knowing he had been tricked, yet again, into doing more work. "This is why I hate your lot."  
  
"Because we're so incredibly good at talking?"  
  
"Because you never shut up until you win," Draco muttered. Scarlett laughed quietly, having to agree. Perhaps it was Gryffindor tenacity. At least she knew she was in Gryffindor for a reason. 


	36. Promises

Scarlett only knew that Lavender was aware of her Mark by the way the girl was absolutely terrified of her. The look she gave Scarlett was a look that promised Scarlett was going to be respected and given space - that Lavender wasn't even going to get near her.   
  
Scarlett liked the space, actually, but the anxiety of potentially having the Mark secret spill... it worried her to the point she felt physically ill. At lunch, the breakfast announcement of Rita Skeeter's death horrifying people... Scarlett couldn't help but the message she was found with beat around her thoughts.  
  
I must not tell secrets.  
  
For the entire day, people stared at her, whispering...   
  
After dinner, Scarlett sat in the aclove of the Common Room, transfiguring a piece of parchment into rickety stairs so that she didn't have to climb, and she noted Cormac's disappointment that he couldn't sit with her.  
  
"I'm leaving anyway, for a meeting with Dumbledore," Scarlett told him quietly. "I suspect it has something to do with yesterday... so... I won't even be here... I'm sorry."  
  
"When will you be back?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Scarlett sighed. "But hopefully soon. I have a few extra assignments to do - like reverse brewing a Felix Felicis." He quirked an eyebrow. "I'll explain that later," she giggled. "It's not as complicated as it sounds."   
  
In fact, it was Severus that collected her, sending a terrified first year Gryffindor into the Common Room, stuttering that Professor Snape wanted to see her. She smirked at Cormac. "See?" she grinned. "I'll see you later?"  
  
"Of course," he said in an almost arrogant tone. "I'm always here."  
  
She rolled her eyes and climbed out of the portrait hole, her wound freshly wrapped and numbed - she was getting the hang of doing it herself now. "Hello, sir," she greeted politely.  
  
"How is your side?"  
  
"Much better," she admitted. "Hurts horribly when putting on the potion, but other than that... it's lovely. I sometimes forget it's there." Of course, that was a partial lie. She sometimes forgot it was a brand, instead thinking she had broken a few ribs. Severus quirked an eyebrow, as if surprised - or perhaps he didn't believe her. She didn't know which, and she didn't want to ask.   
  
"Have you yet deciphered what Lucius told you?"  
  
"Not yet, sir," Scarlett admitted. "I'm going to be going to the Room of Requirements on Sunday to review the memory, possibly dissect some meaning to it..." But she felt horribly guilty hiding the truth from him. He had been nothing but kind and helpful towards her. "I'll let you know what I find once I do."  
  
"Very well... Yet I still think you're hiding something from me." So he could sense it? She supposed it was plainly written on her face. Scarlett frowned, glancing away from him and towards the many steps they were climbing to the office. "Are you?"  
  
"Not ... on purpose, sir," Scarlett said quietly. "But... I suppose. . . a few things." Cormac being one of them. But she quite liked the idea of winning the bet. "But... I think it's best I ... work them out on my own, sir... I will tell you them immediately afterwards, I promise, I just... think it's best-"  
  
"Does it have anything to do with Mr. Zabini?"  
  
"Sort of," Scarlett admitted. "And Tyler."  
  
"I see," Severus said carefully. "Is it something I should know?"  
  
"I'm not sure if it's of any great importance, yet," Scarlett admitted. "But... I have to wait until Sunday evening when Blaise is there to determine if it is-"  
  
"Mr. Zabini is required to go through the memory?"  
  
"Memories," Scarlett said quietly.  
  
He halted, turning to face her. "Explain."  
  
Scarlett sighed, knowing she couldn't have really kept it a secret from him. She pulled the necklace out of her uniform and Severus stared at it in surprise. "Lucius was mumbling incoherently, insisting I review the memories... I'm waiting until I'm able to talk to Blaise to do so... It doesn't feel right to review them without him - if they contain the location of Tyler... Harry, Hermione.. Draco, they're going to look at them too... They've begun to call themselves the BAFT committee... Ron and Ginny have anyway."  
  
"BAFT committee?" Severus questioned.  
  
"Bad Asses Finding Tyler," Scarlett murmured. Severus couldn't stop the snort that left him and Scarlett smiled, relieved. "I just... didn't want to get my hopes up, sir. The memories could be meaningless - he was so out of sorts. But... if they're something-"  
  
"I would like to see them, if they are something, and you find that ... I am allowed to see them. If you do not feel comfortable with me seeing them, however-"  
  
"Ron and Harry, Hermione and Ginny, Draco and Blaise, and probably Neville, Seamus, and Cormac are going to see them," Scarlett said with a snort. "If I'm comfortable letting them see them, then I'm more than comfortable letting you see them... I'm sorry I didn't tell you, sir. I just... wanted Blaise to see them first..."  
  
"And I understand," Severus said after a moment. He cleared his throat and began walking again. When they reached the Headmaster's office, the 'sherbet lemon' password caused the gargoyle to spring to life and the stairs to appear. And then they were climbing. She had no idea what he would want to talk about, but if it was the meeting, Scarlett definitely wouldn't hold anything back.  
  
Albus Dumbledore was... a kind fellow. A bowl of lemon drops were offered to her, but she politely declined as she sat, Severus hovering by the fireplace, as if he was annoyed. Perhaps he was.  
  
"You're probably wondering why you're here."  
  
"I figured it had to do with the meeting, sir," Scarlett admitted.  
  
"Partially," Dumbledore agreed. "But not quite... Severus and I have done a lot of talking... and we feel it important we make the offer formal."  
  
"Offer?" Scarlett questioned. "I wasn't aware there was an offer-"  
  
"The Order of the Phoenix is a very .. difficult group to become a member of. It is so difficult to find people to trust, especially in these times."   
  
"Oh, for Salazar's sake, Albus. Spit it out already," Severus snapped.  
  
"We would like for you to join the Order of the Phoenix, as a ... spy, of sorts, much like Severus." A spy? But she... she wasn't spy material. "You look concerned."  
  
"I... I don't think I'd make a good spy," Scarlett admitted. "I tend to spend long hours doing more researching than watching people. And I ... I don't really know what to say-"  
  
"Your conversations with the Dark Lord are almost natural," Severus interrupted flatly. "You are one of his favorites and you're able to give him exactly what he wants before he even asks you for it." Scarlett swallowed at the compliments. "You can... help us more than I can."  
  
"But... but the Dark Lord will get suspicious, won't he?"  
  
"He won't know you discuss the meetings with me," Professor Dumbledore said kindly. "In fact, he will not even know I know about your involvement. Severus is informing him that only Madame Pomfrey was present and that he obliviated her after the treatment... which I must ask, how are you feeling?"  
  
"Much better, sir," Scarlett admitted. "But... you think this is the best way for me to help the Order? To spy on the Dark Lord? But... if he finds out, he'll kill me-"  
  
"You have already, technically, been spying," Dumbledore explained. "This would just make it official. And there is a risk, as there is with all wars, that you will die... just as there is a risk that I will die, and Mister Weasley will die, and Mister Malfoy will die." She swallowed. She hated thinking about it, but she knew he was right. "So, if you need time to think about it-"  
  
"No," Scarlett said immediately. "I mean yes, but no, I don't need time. I'll do it, I just... don't know how much I have to offer. He hasn't told me anything."  
  
"You are friends with Mister Zabini and Mister Malfoy. Have they told you anything about the war?"  
  
"No," Scarlett admitted. "We don't worry about it, much. We're more worried for Tyler."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Draco is checking into his father's bank records, trying to find deposits. Blaise is working on whatever he can. We've even gotten Neville and Seamus to look through books with Harry, Ron, and Hermione... We all get along remarkably well, when we have our minds set on one goal, instead of house relationships." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Uh... have I said something important?"  
  
"Mister Zabini and Mister Malfoy are willingly working with Mister Potter?"  
  
"Well, I sort of trapped Draco into it..." She cleared her throat, at the look on the Headmaster's face and felt the need to explain. "I'm persuasive... but I don't mean to be. It's sort of like blackmail, but I don't misuse it, sir, I would never," Scarlett rushed out as Severus glanced at her in surprise. "I either bribe him with me doing most of the Arithmancy projects we have, or I mention the Manor... Like, just today I mentioned how he didn't even work on it and that he really should... and of course he refused, because he's Draco, sir... And I started to mention how I was really cold and how Lucius's cane hurt more than anything else and Draco always knows what I'm doing, but he agrees to help more on the projects when I do use that method... It's all in good fun, sir."  
  
"Do you think Mister Malfoy is remorseful for your treatment?"  
  
"I think so, yes, but I think that's why we're such good friends now - so we can forget about it." Scarlett gave him a bright smile.   
  
"How does he feel about working with the Gryffindors?"  
  
"Oh, he's not too harsh about it. He does make comments sometimes, but they all do. Ginny seems rather familiar with them. She sat between the two of them, last time, which was the first time we all got together... and they seemed pretty surprised, but didn't make her move..." Scarlett shrugged. "But then again, that's Ginny's personality. She couldn't be bothered by anything."   
  
"I see... well, since you've accepted the position, I will notify the rest of the Order of your help. I think they will appreciate it very much." Scarlett noticed the look he sent Severus, but she rose, drawing attention to herself. "I trust you'll be okay on your way back to the Tower?"  
  
"Yes, sir," Scarlett nodded. "Like I said, I feel much better."  
  
"Very well," Albus Dumbledore nodded, a twinkle in his eyes. "And before you go, Scarlett," he called as she approached the door. "Your relationship with Mister McLaggen. How is that going?"  
  
Scarlett flushed brightly, ignoring her father's look. "Oh, it's... it's fine, Professor. Thank you for asking."  
  
She nearly ran from the office before her father could question her, not wanting to fight with him over it, because he would no doubt start the same argument Harry or Ron would have on why dating Cormac was bad.   
  
But she heard it anyway Friday afternoon in her session with him.   
  
When Sunday afternoon came around, she felt so much better that the wound barely even itched anymore, which was a relief. She absolutely hated the burning itch that would make her want to just itch until the skin ran raw. And it seemed to be healing rather well, but it still was healing, which mean that she couldn't do much physical activity - her training sessions were still out.   
  
Draco strode through the Room of Requirement door with a few rolls of parchment, Blaise hot on his heels with a grin on his face. "I've found something," Draco told her immediately. She shot forward, wincing slightly as she did so, but took the parchment from Draco, noticing that they were bank statements. "Every month, nearly seventeen thousand galleons are going to a small Muggle town by the Manor."   
  
"What?" she whispered.  
  
"Yeah, isn't that great?" Blaise continued. "Every month, get this, since December of 1994."  
  
"And... and it's still going on?" Scarlett whispered, flipping the pages so that she could see the most recent statement. Just this month. "He's... paying someone?"  
  
"It could be a trade place, or something, child labor," Blaise said quickly, "but he could also be paying for... his living, his stay somewhere."  
  
"Oh, Merlin," Scarlett murmured. "And... and there's no payments before this?"  
  
"No, and no deposits from the place, either," Draco admitted. "So they didn't pay my father for Tyler."  
  
"This is fantastic," she cried, hugging Draco tightly. "Bloody hell, you're the greatest, do you know that?" She pulled away, glancing down at the papers yet again. "This is... this is so great! Such great news!"  
  
"So, if we can get in touch with that place," Blaise said, "see what Lucius is paying for them to keep quiet..."  
  
"It might lead us to him," Scarlett grinned. It put her in a considerably good mood. "This calls for celebratory firewhiskey, don't you think?"  
  
"Absolutely," Draco agreed. They had already taken two shots each by the time the Gryffindor's arrived and she passed a glass to each of them.   
  
"Draco is bloody amazing," Scarlett declared when they asked her why. "Found some bank records to a Muggle town... Apparently Lucius is trying to keep something hush hush there."  
  
"So, that's why we're drinking?" Seamus asked. "Because, I think we should be more than drinking with that news."  
  
"How much was he paying them?" Hermione asked, curiously.  
  
"Two hundred thousand galleons a year."  
  
"That's a million pounds!" Hermione gasped.  
  
"Bloody hell," Cormac murmured.  
  
"Anyway, we've got memories to review," Scarlett insisted. She ushered them to sit and took the seat she had last week beside Cormac, leaning forward and staring at the vial with the memories in it. "I've counted at least fifteen. But I may have counted wrong, too. They don't sit still." She conjured a pensieve and waited until everyone had finished their drinks, before she poured the memories into the bowl. "I don't know what's going to be in here... but I sure hope it's something good, for once."  
  
"So..." Seamus asked, glancing at Neville, and then the rest of the crowd. "We just jump right in?"  
  
"Jump right in," Scarlett agreed and then she leaned forward, until the pensieve found purchase and threw her inside.  
  
She stood in a white void, the pensieve waiting for everyone to join, before the memory began. And when it did, it was an inky blankness that slowly coated the ground until a little girl was walking besides a tall man, the path bordered on all sides with flowers all around.  
  
"Lucy! Lucy, look at this one!" It was her, when she was... perhaps three or four years old. "It looks like a sun in the sky, but it's on a stem." Scarlett's younger self giggled, sniffing it. "It smells like Narcissy!"   
  
Lucius paused as the little girl surveyed the yellow flowers, his hands clasped behind his back. Then they started to walk again, to the next set of flowers, and he paused once more. These were purple.  
  
"I remember this," Scarlett murmured to herself, stepping forward from the group to follow them.   
  
"I'm going to call these dragon-flowers!" the little girl declared. "Because they look like Drake's food when he starts to throw it! All smushy and gross, but they're purple, so they're pretty!"   
  
"How old are you?" Harry asked, drawing Scarlett's attention.  
  
"I think I was three... maybe four. I don't remember exactly when, but I remember this..."   
  
"And look at this one!" the little girl giggled, her red hair blowing in the breeze as the tall flowers stretched towards the sun. "These look like they're trying to reach the sky! Can I call them sky-catchers?" She didn't expect an answer back and she patted the large stalks, squinting as she stared up at the sky. "Hello, Mr. Sky-catcher. Did you get any taller today?"  
  
"They're called sunflowers," Lucius's voice spoke suddenly. "The direction the flowers are facing depends on where the sun is at a different point in the day."   
  
"Really?" little Scarlett gasped. "But, Lucy, why call them sun flowers, though? The other ones look more like the sun! And when Narcissy smiles, it's as bright as the sun-"  
  
"Yes, it is, isn't it? That is just what they call these."  
  
"Oh. Well whoever they are must know a lot about flowers." She skipped happily towards a bush of red roses, the gasp that left her only doubling the elation that showed on her face. "These are so pretty! These are my favorite! These can be called-"  
  
"They're called roses," Lucius said suddenly.  
  
"Roses?" Scarlett questioned. "Oh, they're so pretty! I like them..."  
  
Lucius reached into the bush, using his wand to cut them at the stem, and he flicked his wand again, making a small flower crown that would fit perfectly on her head. He placed it atop her mass of red hair and she grinned at him. "Thanks, Lucy! It's so pretty! Don't you want one?"  
  
The look on his face made Scarlett giggle.  
  
"No, I think I'll be alright."  
  
"But, look! There are white roses to match your hair! Or are they called something different because they're white? They look like roses..."  
  
Scarlett voice faded away as the memory changed and the scene changed to Lucius's public study, her sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace in a pretty yellow dress, her the rose flower crown in her lap, the comb that ran through her hair nearly the same color as Scarlett's hair.  
  
"Lucy?" Scarlett asked quietly as Lucius slowly brushed at her hair, the wetness making a small smack against her skin as the brush untangled the mess. She ran around the Manor so much, it made her hair become ratty often.   
  
"Yes?" Lucius asked quietly, setting the brush down. Scarlett fiddled with her fingers. "Well? What is it?"  
  
"I know you don't like questions," she said quietly. "But... why aren't my mummy and daddy here? Drake has his mummy and daddy - that's you and Narcissy, but where are my mummy and daddy? And why don't I look like you, and Narcissy, and Drake, and 'Braxus? You have such pretty hair... and mine is really red... I don't like it being so red. I wish I had your hair." She dropped her gaze, her eyes filled with tears, and the fingers that were running through her hair halted. Scarlett hadn't noticed then, but a spasm of pain crossed Lucius's features.  
  
"Your parents left you with Narcissa and I, to take care of you," Lucius spoke smoothly, as though he hadn't been brought to some emotion by her words. "Your mother had red hair, and your father had black eyes... Which is why you look like you do. Just like Draco has blond hair and green eyes like Narcissa."  
  
"But why aren't mummy and daddy here?" she asked quietly. "Don't they miss me?"  
  
Lucius's fingers began to tug at her hair, pulling it into a braid. Once it was finished, he pulled the crown from her hands and placed it atop her head, then tying her hair back with a black ribbon. "Of course they miss you... You're their princess."  
  
"What's a princess?"  
  
Lucius's voice as he explained what a princess was ran through her thoughts as the scene transitioned to something else... something much different than the first two memories. It was Narcissa's old bedroom.  
  
She sobbed as Lucius grabbed a fistful of her hair, dragging her from the closet. She was older, perhaps six, and there was a few ink stains on her hands.   
  
"Gren, take her to the drawing room," Lucius snapped. He threw Scarlett away from him and apparated, just as Scarlett apparated.   
  
"L-Lucy, please!" Scarlett sobbed. "I-I don't understand! I'm sorry!"  
  
Lucius snarled as he grabbed the hot poker from the drawing room's fireplace, the look on his face one of pure anger. "I told you not to call me that, you insolent brat!" There was a crack as his palm connected with her cheek and as the elves released her, she went sprawling to the floor, sobbing.  
  
And then suddenly her yellow dress was being torn at the seams between her shoulders, exposing her pale, smooth back and Lucius pressed his boot to her spine, making it so that she was unable to move.   
  
"Lucy-Lucy, please, I'm sorry!" Scarlett cried. "I'm sorry! It wasn't Narcissy's fault! I wanted to write, too! I wanted to read, just like she's teaching Drake!"  
  
"You are nothing more than a servant now," Lucius hissed and then she was screaming, her screams echoing in the memory as the poker was shoved against her skin, in between her shoulders, branding her forever to the house of Malfoy. When it was removed, he threw it away from him and grabbed her shoulder roughly, hauling her to her feet. She was sobbing, inconsolable and he shook her roughly. "Say it! You will serve the House of Malfoy until your death-"  
  
"Please," she cried. "I'm sorry-"  
  
"Say it!" he shouted at her.  
  
"I will serve the House of Malfoy until my death," little Scarlett sobbed.  
  
Scarlett hadn't even realized she had whisperd it along with her younger self until she felt Cormac take her hand. Scarlett swallowed, watching as Lucius threw her away and she collapsed on the floor, sobbing, the elves taking her away. And the scene changed.  
  
  
It was a hallway, one she visited often to clean, and the clothing she was wearing as she ran down it was torn, the yellow dress - one that wasn't as nice or elaborate as the one in her childhood - covered in blood and... and other things. Scarlett stumbled, a sob leaving her throat as she collapsed on the ground, using the wall for support, her body shaking as she hugged herself together. She had been twelve, and it was just after Crabbe and Goyle had their fun.  
  
And suddenly, as Scarlett faded out of consciousness, the bloodloss too much, there were footsteps - fast and urgent as they approached her. And then Lucius came into view, a worried expression on his face as Dobby hurriedly walked up beside him, explaining what had happened to his master.   
  
"She was screaming so loudly, Master. She kept kicking and biting, but Mister Crabbe and Goyle wouldn't stop hurting her. Dobby didn't know what to do. Dobby tried to find Master, but Master had asked not to be disturbed-" And when he saw her, the color drained from his face and then Lucius was running towards her, kneeling down beside her unconscious form.   
  
"This never happened," Scarlett murmured, confused. Tears were swimming in her eyes as Lucius used his cloak to cover her, to keep her warm. "I... I don't understand-"  
  
His expensive, silk worm cloak that he had only purchased three weeks ago from Japan. And then he was lifting her into his arms, snapping at Dobby. "Take us to the healer-elf. Now."  
  
Dobby obliged, and they were whisked away.  
  
The scene changed, from the gruelling hall to Narciss and Lucius standing in the Master bedroom, the sparkling white marble stretching at all sides, and the bed covered in a mass of green and black blankets and pillows, with a hint of gold.   
  
Narcissa was furious, Scarlett could see it by the way her face was red. "She's fifteen years old, Lucius!" Narcissa cried. "Just because you're angry with yourself for what you've done to her, doesn't mean you can take it out on her!"  
  
"He wouldn't punish her," Lucius snapped. "I'm not going to let her go unpunished and face Madame Zabini crawling over our assetts because he got hurt because she's a clumsy bitch!"  
  
"You loved her like your own daughter!" Narcissa cried. "How could you do that to her? How could you do that to Zabini! He's Draco's best friend. Does family mean nothing to you?"  
  
"She's not our blood."  
  
"But she's my daughter. She has been ever since she was on that doorstep, Lucius. She's done nothing but love us and want to live with us, and you go and do something-something so horrible-"  
  
"Narcissa, she's not our daughter. And she never will be-"  
  
"You're a monster," Narcissa whispered, turning from her husband. "You're an utter monster. What happened to the man I fell in love with? What happened to the man that would play with her for hours while I stayed with Draco? Who would walk her in the garden? Who would comb her hair after her bath and listen to her prattle on about what she discovered in the Manor that day? What happened to the man that cared about her?"  
  
"She was punished and she will not do it again," Lucius said shortly, but his voice was thick with emotion, as if trying to distance himself, but failing. "And I guarantee Zabini will punish her if it does happen-"  
  
"You turned that boy into a rapist!" Narcissa cried. "He didn't want to hurt her and for good reason! She's innocent, Lucius. Let her go... give her some money, send her to Albus... Let her go-"  
  
"It's too late for that, Narcissa," Lucius said quietly. "We can't let her go now."  
  
"That was after... after the Imperio," Blaise murmured, his brow furrowed. "Did Narcissa ever-?" Scarlett shook her head. Narcissa had never approached her about it. Not that she remembered.   
  
The scene changed and suddenly Scarlett was kneeling in front of Narcissa, worriedly fiddling with her fingers. She was skinny, her hair ratty, and she looked as though she could desperately have used a bath.   
  
"Your monthly bleeding has stopped?" Narcissa whispered. "You're certain?"  
  
"I-I wasn't sure, so I... I asked the elves, and they said that it has," Scarlett murmured. "I'm sorry, Mistress... I... I don't know what's wrong with me... Am I sick?"  
  
"No... No, you're not sick," Narcissa said gently. "Come, sit with me by the fire for a moment." Scarlett hesitated, waiting for Narcissa moved before she got up herself, moving towards Narcissa. "You understand how a baby is made..."  
  
"Yes... you told me."  
  
"And you know that your ... visitors these last few months have taken no care in your own health," Narcissa continued. "I should have asked the elves to... to do something... for you... Dear one... you're pregnant."  
  
Scarlett frowned. "But... that's not possible. You said that you only get pregnant when a man and a woman love each other... not... not what happened to me-"  
  
"Yes, I understand that, but it can happen many ways," Narcissa said quietly. "Whether the parties involved love each other or not..." She sighed. "I need to tell Lucius-"  
  
Scarlett's gaze lifted, her eyes wide with absolute terror. "No, wait, please- please, there must be something we can do. He'll be so... so angry with me... I don't want him angry, please..."  
  
"We have to tell him," Narcissa said softly. "He has to know."  
  
Scarlett's lips began to tremble and she lowered her gaze. "As you wish, Mistress."  
  
"It'll be alright... Humphrey? Fetch Lucius... Tell him it's urgent."  
  
Lucius Malfoy arrived not even a moment later and he took in the servant sitting on the chair she was not allowed to sit in, the sitting room in pristine condition as always, but still he was suspicious. His gaze traveled to Narcissa. "What is the meaning of this? She's not to be in here."  
  
"I'll-I'll go, Master-" Scarlett said immediately, standing.  
  
"No," Narcissa snapped. "Sit down." Scarlett obeyed.  
  
"You're not to talk to her, Narcissa, you know that-"   
  
"She's pregnant, Lucius."   
  
There was silence and Scarlett bit her lip, her eyes shut as she waited for him to grab her hair, to use the cane.   
  
"You're certain?"  
  
"The elves confirmed it," Narcissa said quietly. "I told you this would happen, but you didn't listen to me."   
  
Narcissa and Lucius stared at each other, as if waiting for the other to begin arguing for something - for her to keep it, or for her to be rid of it.   
  
"Change her diet," Lucius said at last. "Three meals a day, warm, full of everything she and the child need. When it is born, keep the diet the same until it is no longer in need of being breastfed. She will eat with us when there is no company, or in the kitchen when there is. Her chores will be limited to those fit for her condition."   
  
Scarlett's gaze lifted, surprised, but confused. "Th-thank you, Master."  
  
"Make no mistake, when the child does not depend on you anymore, your diet will resume to what it is now. Is that understood?"  
  
Scarlett nodded immediately, swallowing. "Understood, Master."  
  
"Get her some food. I don't expect to be disturbed with this matter again."  
  
The scene changed to the Master bedroom once more, Narcissa sitting at the foot of the bed.  
  
 "The visitors need to stop," Narcissa said quietly. "She's showing and it isn't good for the child if she is hurt constantly."  
  
"They make a sport of finding her. I cannot stop them."  
  
"Yes you can," Narcissa said firmly. "Just until it's safe for her and the child, Lucius, at least... Please, for me. Can we please, stop the visitors?"  
  
Lucius groaned. "She isn't our daughter, Narcissa."  
  
"She is to me."  
  
It was the hallway once more.  
  
Scarlett was scrubbing the floors, her stomach swollen, yet it was strange on her petitie frame - misshapen. She was still too skinny, even with the meals she was granted. She dunked the scrub brush into the bucket before scrubbing yet again at a scuff mark. It was horrible, how often the entrance hall was scruffed.  
  
"-and I said to him, I said, Crabbe, you're a tosser. And he says to me, he says, Goyle, you're a wanker-" Scarlett's scrubbing froze and she hastilly grabbed the bucket, using her skirt to dry off the piece of marble, and she went as quickly as she could to the shadows, spotting Draco walking with Goyle. Draco looked particularly bored.   
  
"You've told me this story eighteen times this summer, Goyle," Draco sneered. "I don't care about your fight with Crabbe. Kiss each other and make up or something, but for fuck's sake, if you say it again, I might have father brand you so that you get the visitors-"  
  
"Speaking of the bitch, isn't she usually here this hour?"  
  
"You heard what father said. If you touch her, you will no longer be living."  
  
"He grow fond of her, then?" Goyle snorted. "No wonder. She spreads her delicious legs for anyone-"  
  
"Leave, Goyle."   
  
"Or is she too hurt after last time? I'd imagine anyone would be with a shard of glass embedded into their ribs-"  
  
"I said, leave."  
  
The scene changed and Scarlett was scrubbing the ballroom, wearing a white dress that barely fit her stomach. Scarlett remembered this moment.  
  
She winced suddenly as she stood, walking towards the bucket, sucking in a sharp breath as she touched her stomach gently. And then she was moving again, towards the bucket, reaching down and cleaning the brush before walking back to where she once was, wincing slightly again.  
  
The memory continued for a few moments of her wincing every few minutes, until it becomes so frequent that she drops the brush and there's a moment of panic on her face. "Gren...?" Scarlett whispered. She wasn't supposed to call the elves, not unless it's an emergency. The elf appeared. "I... I think something's wrong," she said urgently. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Missy is going into labor, Gren has calculated. Gren is going to notify Mistress."  
  
Before Scarlett could protest, the elf was gone and the scene changed abruptly to the Master lounge connected to the Master bedroom and study. Lucius and Narcissa were seated by the fire, Narcissa eating a few pistacios as she read from her favorite poetry book, and Lucius was reading the paper. They both jumped at Gren's appearance. "Missy has gone into labor. Gren was told to notify Mistress when it happens."  
  
"Take me to her," Narcissa said immediately, giving the elf her hand.  
  
But Lucius grabbed it, stopping her. "There's nothing you can do for her. She's going to be-"  
  
"She could use a little comfort for Salazar's sake," Narcissa snapped. "Have you any compassion left in your dead heart?" She grabbed the elf and they were gone, but not before Lucius swallowed at the barb and reached for the whiskey atop the mantle, pouring himself a glass... before thinking better of it and instead drinking from the tumbler.  
  
Back in the ballroom, Narcissa grabbed Scarlett's shoulders, helping the girl up. "There, there, it's alright. Come, let's get you situated."  
  
"Where shall Gren take you, Mistress?"  
  
"Take us to her bedroom on the third floor," Narcissa said simply. "And bring me all of the healer elves required. I want this to be smooth-"  
  
They're whisked away to her bedroom, the one she had grown up in. And it is the same as from when she was a child. Her teddy bear abandoned on the floor, collecting dust, a few pieces of clothing.  
  
"When the elves say to push, push, dear one, do you understand?"  
  
"Push?" Scarlett asked, confused. "I... I don't understand. Why am I pushing?"  
  
The look on Narcissa's face told her that it wasn't a good thing she didn't know what that meant.   
  
And then the scene changed to later and Scarlett felt her eyes tear up yet again at the little boy Narcissa held wrapped in a blanket - the white baby blanket Scarlett had grown up with.   
  
"It's a boy," Narcissa whispered as the child's wails died down to a hiccup. "Would you like to hold him?"  
  
Scarlett looked worried, but accepted the child from Narcissa's arms, her hair damp against her face and she looked positively dreadful, but content as she stared at the dark tan child in her arms, the fluff of dark hair looking just as happy as Scarlett seemed to be in that moment.   
  
"Isn't he beautiful?" Narcissa whispered. "What will you name him?"  
  
"I don't know," Scarlett admitted. "What are boy names?"  
  
"There is Adrian, Brandon, Tyler, Michael, Brutus-"  
  
"Tyler," Scarlett whispered softly. "I like Tyler."  
  
"Then we'll call him Tyler," Narcissa promised, a warm smile on her face. "You should rest... you're tired and he will be asleep... I'll take care of him while you're out."   
  
Scarlett felt tears in her eyes suddenly. "Don't let Master take him... please."  
  
"I won't," Narcissa promised. "Lucius won't take him from you."  
  
She was sitting in the kitchen, her baby blanket wrapped around the child as he seemed a tad older, a few months older, at least, and by the fire, tired, but savoring the warmth against his skin.   
  
She glanced up as Lucius appeared, and the kitchen was empty, the elves off duty for the night. It was quite late. He seem startled to see her there, half to the pantry for a snack, it seemed.   
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked carefully, and Scarlett didn't know if he was angry or curious.  
  
"I-I'm sorry, Master. It was selfish of me. I shouldn't be here- Tyler likes the warmth of the fire-" The look he sent her shut her up. "Forgive me," she murmured, biting her lip as she kept her eyes downcast.  
  
"Why is he not in your room?"  
  
"It's cold, Master," Scarlett whispered. "Not-not that I'm complaining. It's perfectly fine, Master.... I - I like my room very much. But he cries in the cold, so I stay here for as long as I can... Forgive me, I ... I didn't mean to intrude upon your generosity-"  
  
"Come with me."  
  
Scarlett winced but nodded, following Lucius with shuffled steps, quick as he continued up the servant passageway, to the third floor. And then they were walking down the hall, which was all familiar. His steps were purposeful, angry, but he didn't take it out on her. He jerked open a door suddenly and gestured inside. "This will be your room for two months and two months only. Then, you will go to your room every night in the dungeons aftewards and not sit in front of the fire and waste my money with the firewood. Is that understood-"  
  
Her new room? But it was her old room... "Yes, Master... Thank you, Master. You are very kind-"  
  
But he was already walking away, and her praises were on deaf ears.   
  
She was in her cell once more, sitting on her cot and giggling as the child cooed. But Scarlett was still caught up over the previous memory... She hadn't... she had lived in her cell the entirety of Tyler being there... what?  
  
"Come on," Scarlett encourged. "One step," she promised. "One step and we'll stop." The baby gurgled and she held its arms, the legs wobbling dangerously, and she giggled as the child only managed to swing its hips. His dark hair was curly, wildly on his head, and he had her eyes - her dark, dark eyes. "One step," she cooed.  
  
"Mama!" Tyler cried and Scarlett gigled.   
  
"Yes, I'm mama," Scarlett giggled. She gave up on the walking and tucked him onto the lumpy bed, tickling his belly. Shrieking laughter filled the cell and Scarlett laughed as well, before stopping and wrapping him in the blanket, seeing the gooseflesh appear on his skin. It was the only blanket in the room. She grabbed one of her dresses off of the chair beside her, and wrapped it around him as well, rocking him tightly to her chest, letting him drift off to sleep.   
  
The bang of her cell door caused her to glance up, and he was staring at her with an intense hatred that made the laughter die in her throat. And the smile drop off of her face. She clutched Tyler tightly to her, waking him. "Wait," she said quietly. "Wait-" He took a few steps into the room, approaching her. She scrambled back, but there was nowhere to go. She was pressed up against the corner of a cold wall. Lucius grabbed the child from her, from her shocked arms, and Tyler immediately began to wail. "Wait! No, please!" Scarlett surged forward, grabbing the child back, clutching it tightly to her, stumbling as far as she could go, until she was against the grate and her wailing child was pressed up against her.  
  
"Give it to me!" Lucius hissed. "This brat is just as filthy as you. I should have never allowed you to say - I should have left you to die - So I'm going to make it right. This child will be left to die-"  
  
"No!" Scarlett cried. "P-please, I'll work extra. I'll work around the clock, I swear. Please, don't take him... Please, please." Tears were running down her face and she held Tyler so tightly to her, it was a wonder he wasn't injured. But the blonde man just stared at her as though he had never loved her, never loved anything about her. "When I was on your doorstep... you took me in... You let me stay with your family ... you could have let me die, but you didn't... you saw something... you have something inside of you - some compassion. Please, don't take Tyler... Please, he's all I have ... He's all I have left-"  
  
The man's outstretched hand faltered as Scarlett sobbed, closing her eyes as if she could disappear. And the angry resolve on his face, the hatred, melted for a moment so that everyone could see a heartbroken man. And as soon as her eyes opened, it was back in place, firmly, once more.  
  
"He will die here no matter what," Lucius hissed. "We either do it the harmless way, or we'll do it the painful. I've never heard a baby scream in pain, but we can-"  
  
"No!" Scarlett sobbed. She shielded the child with her own body. "Please... Please, let me find a home for him, at least. A home and-and then you can kill me instead. Please-please, just give him a chance... He deserves a chance! You gave me one. You gave me a chance, and I was happy... I was so happy. You treated me like your own-" She sniffled, sobbing into the crying child's blanket. Her baby blanket. The white, dirty fabric with pink stitching. "I serve the house of Malfoy until my death," Scarlett whispered. "I serve you, but I am this child's mother and my child comes first." She took a step to the left, reaching under her pillow and drawing a knife. Narcissa had ordered it stay there. She raised it to her throat, making Lucius pause. "And I will serve the House of Malfoy until my death..."  
  
"Yet you disobey a direct order to give me the child," Lucius hissed. "I don't have time for games. The child is needed for the Dark Lord's return-"  
  
"He's just a child," Scarlett whispered. "He deserves so much more than me, I know that, Master, but... but he's all I have..." She moved the knife from her neck, and pointed it towards the silver man. "So you have to kill me first."   
  
"Crucio!" The spell made Scarlett crumble to the ground, the knife clattering against the stone. She screamed, louder than the child in her arms screamed. And her grip had gone lax. It was how Lucius plucked the child once more from her and moved towards the door. A surge of adrenaline made Scarlett's legs move her towards the door, and she managed to slip out just as he slammed it shut.   
  
"Please!" Scarlett begged, breathing heavily as they stared at one another. "Please-"  
  
"Crucio."   
  
She screamed in pain, and by the time she was released, he had disapparated into the night. The sob that left her was painful, it sounded like it was deep in her throat. "I'm sorry," she whispered into the stone floor. "I'm sorry... Tyler."  
  
But the memory didn't end there. It continued, following Lucius.  
  
They were in a Muggle neighborhood, and Lucius was breathing heavily as he glanced around, trying to shush the screaming child. "Mama!" Street signs... A city name. And a very distinct church. It was a place Scarlett could remember, if asked to look upon it. And suddenly Lucius was moving, towards the church, the harsh winter wind cutting into his robes.  
  
When he reached the door, everyone scrambling to follow, he knocked twice, sharply and waited impatiently, his breathing still hard and fast. When the woman answered, a simple spell rendered her confused. "Oh, sir... do come in..."   
  
She was elderly, perhaps in her late fifties, early sixties, and she shut the door behind Lucius as he entered the church, a home side, it seemed, as the room had a warm and cozy fire burning between a few couches.  
  
Lucius passed her Tyler, withdrawing a letter from his robes. "You are to watch him," Lucius said firmly. The confundus charm seemed to be wearing off by the second and she was slowly turning more confused. "Is that understood?"  
  
"Wha-?" The woman gave a shout of alarm as Lucius reached into his pocket. "Don't you dare draw a gun on me-" But it wasn't a gun. It was a locket with beautiful lily flowers etched into the surface and Lucius wrapped it once around Tyler's neck, opening it.   
  
Scarlett's breath left her as she spotted a picture of Severus Snape on one end, and then on the other, the opposite picture, was Lily Evans... Lily Potter. She was beautiful, much like Scarlett had imagined, and she looked so much like Scarlett herself.   
  
And suddenly Lucius's voice was speaking, but his mouth wasn't moving. It was like an overlay, and Scarlett knew it was the letter being read. Lucius pulled the blanket off of the child and the woman hurriedly reached for another, to wrap around the baby, to keep him warm.   
  
Lucius folded it carefully, staring at the baby.  
  
"To whoever you are... I never caught your names in my scouting, but I know that you will take care of him. His name is Tyler Prince and his birthday is August fourth, 1994. His mother is a sixteen year old girl that ... that is in a situation where she is unable to care for him. When she turns eighteen, she will be freed and... when she turns eighteen, she will learn of where he is, so she can find him. Raise him well, for her, because where she is, isn't the proper place for a child... Keep him here for two years more, and I will financially compensate you with a million pounds each year. Use it for whatever you wish, but do not let Tyler out of your sight... They will look for him if they know you have him... His mother will come for him, in two years... and she will care for him once more.... I have been watching you for a few months now, trying to determine if this is a safe place... And it is. You are kind people, who will only make sure there is kindness in this child. In two years, please give him to her, because I failed to let them have the life they deserved together... It's not safe for him... and it's not safe for her. And it's not safe for them to be together right now. It is troubling times that are brewing here, and she isn't aware yet... The money will be mailed to you discreetly, claim an anonymous donor. She will come for him... and Scarlett Snape will come here."   
  
And as the letter concluded, Lucius strode from the home, not even caring to catch their names.   
  
He knew? He knew this whole time? Her name... her family... She felt sick, dizzy... she needed to sit down. "Scarlett?" Cormac murmured, worried.  
  
"Oh, my God," Scarlett whispered, stumbling. "Everything... Everything's been.. been a lie-" But the scene was changing again, and Scarlett was in the hall, her eyes red and scrubbing the floor with an anger that she hadn't been able to name.  
  
Her eyes lifted at the approaching footsteps and her breath caught in her throat as she caught the bundled blanket in his arms. "Thank you, Ma-" The blanket dropped into her lap and her words died in her throat, the hope fading and sheer, utter agony crashed through her. She gathered the blanket in her arms clutching it to her chest and let out a sound so inhuman Lucius winced.   
  
And then she was crying, burying her face into the blanket and she leaned forward until her forehead rested on the wet marble floor and her shoulders wracked with the agony tearing apart her soul. Her son... her son dead.   
  
"What's the matter?" Narcissa demanded, rushing towards them. Her breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of Scarlett, sobbing as she clutched her blanket.  
  
"It's done," Lucius said flatly.  
  
Narcissa fell to the ground besides Scarlett, pulling her to her chest and hugged the girl to her, letting her cry, letting her hate the man that stood over the both of them. Because the hate was perfectly justified.  
  
The scene changed to the master lounge once more, and Narcissa sighed as she entered the room.   
  
"She's asleep," Narcissa stated quietly to Lucius. "Surely there was another way to do this... To let them go together."  
  
"She's still a minor," Lucius stated. "She has the trace on her... We couldn't let her go, not until-"  
  
"You could have told Severus," Narcissa said softly. "She's so broken, Lucius. I've never seen her cry like that... not even when she was a child... This has ruined her..."  
  
"It had to be done," Lucius said firmly. "The Dark Lord will return soon, and when he does ... it's no place for a child."  
  
"It's no place for her, either," Narcissa snapped. "I love her more than you'll ever understand, but... I would have let her go, if it meant she was safe to... I would have stayed with her, to keep the trace off of her-"  
  
"Your absence would have been suspicious when the Dark Lord returned," Lucius interrupted.  
  
"So what happens, then? When he does return, and she's still here? How will we get her out? It'll be noticed, Lucius," Narcissa said firmly. "We should have told Severus when we found her. We should never have hid it from him-"  
  
"He wouldn't have kept her," Lucius snapped. "You know that. He was twenty two, newly appointed professor at Hogwarts... He wouldn't have time for a child, wouldn't have cared-"  
  
"It was her child," Narcissa argued. "He would have cared... He would have worshipped her... She looks just like Lily... doesn't she? He would have known... She would have been the brightest of her age - look who she had for parents... She would have been loved, and cherished... he would have worshipped her. And what did we do? What did you do? You ruined her... You killed her spirit, her love, her good... All for what? Your own safety? Your own favor with the Dark Lord?"  
  
"It's too late now," Lucius said simply. "He is gone, we kept her, and that's it."  
  
"We should seal the memories," Narcissa said quietly. "Give them to her when it's time... If the Dark Lord were ever to learn about ... about the child? How she is Severus Snape and Lily Evan's child...? How she has a child? Do you know what he would do to them?"  
  
"That's why Tyler's gone," Lucius ground out. "That's why we took him away from here."  
  
"No, Lucius, that's why you ripped him from his mother's arms," Narcissa said sharply. "She's still here... She's still unprotected. He will find her... We can't have this information in our heads, do you understand, Lucius? He will kill us... or leave Severus to kill us..." Narcissa swallowed. "We'll seal the memories in a vial for her... and when the time is right, tell her everything."  
  
"Everything," Lucius echoed.  
  
The scene faded.  
  
Scarlett looked frail in the halls, a shell, lifeless, overworked. She worked harder than she ever had in her life. She gasped as Lucius grabbed her suddenly, catching her by surprise, and shoved her against the wall. "You must look for him... look for Tyler, Scarlett... Once you're released... You only have a year left... I wish you would remember this conversation, but you won't... you can't... but I can't keep it in... When you find Severus, he will help you look with the memories. If the Dark Lord knew... if he knew you were Lily's daughter.... he might kill you-" Scarlett looked absolutely terrified as the man kept talking. "And if he knew you were Severus's, he might not spare you either..." The man started to cry, tears escaping his cold gray eyes. "I was just trying to... to protect you... to keep you safe, hidden... so that no one would think twice about you... no one would look at you and know who you were.... When you have this memory, I won't have it. And when I have it, you won't. I'll remove all of the memories of where Tyler is ... to keep him safe.... But-" he hugged her suddenly, his wet face buried into her matted hair. "You'll always be my daughter... you'll always be my eldest child. Remember, whenever I hurt you... remember when you were little and I would care for you... because I'm so sorry-"  
  
He pulled back from her suddenly, drawing in a haggard breath to straighten himself out. "I'm sorry.."  
  
"Lucy?" Scarlett whispered, confused.  
  
"Obliviate!"  
  
She knew the next scene. It was only a few months ago, after all.  
  
"Where are you going, you insolent wench?" The hall formed around them once more, and Scarlett had been scurrying, but stopped at the sound of Lucius's voice. 

"I was off to polish the silver, Master," she answered quietly. "I have finished the ballroom."

"I believe that can wait." Scarlett swallowed. A Divindo charm was cast, slicing the skin of her forearm open, splashing blood on her dress. "How dare you talk to my son-"

"Forgive me, Master," the red-head begged, dropping to her knees besides the pale man. He raised his wand, about to take it to her face, when a voice interrupted her.

"Save the torturing for later, Lucius," a dark voice hissed into the darkness. Lucius listened, not lowering his wand, but neither attacking. "There are more important matters to attend to than to harm the help." The man appeared then, paper white, with glowing red eyes, just like the snake that slithered on the floor beside him. There were many men behind him, as well, in dark robes. Death Eaters, and the Dark Lord. "I'm not doubting that she deserves it but..." He trailed off as he drank in the sight of the bleeding girl, refusing to cry out as a quick charm sliced her cheek open. She clenched her jaw and looked down, away from the men before her.

"My Lord, she needs to learn her place."

"She's strong," the Dark Lord answered the unspoken question as to why he was stopping them from hurting her. He, himself, had just cut her face not even seconds before with a flick of his own wand. "Not even a single peep. Lucius, how long have you had her?"

"Since she was a filthy child, my Lord," Lucius answered. Scarlett noticed a tick of his jaw as he clenched his jaw. "Dumped here by her two Mudblood parents."

Laughs echoed throughout the dark hallway.

"She's a pretty one, isn't she?" The Dark Lord's wand made her rise without her permission and her eyes met the red ones. She didn't look away, even after the controlling Imperius curse was dropped. "What is your name, beautiful?"

"I have no name unless my Master permits it," the red head answered quietly. "I am no one, my Lord."

"And don't forget it," Lucius hissed.

"The girl's name, Lucius?" Voldemort snapped. Lucius cleared his throat, swallowing.

"Scarlett, my Lord," Lucius answered finally. The red-head girl's eyes turned to him in surprise. 

"Scarlett," the Dark Lord murmured, as if tasting it on his tongue. "Her last, Lucius? She's much too pretty to be a Mudblood." Scarlett's gaze dropped to the Dark Lord's bare feet. 

"No surname was given on her papers, my Lord. She's showed no signs of magic. She's a filthy Muggle, my Lord. She is of no value and cannot be used for anything useful. I only keep her around because she is easy on the eyes."

There was an inquisitive throat sound before a papery hand grabbed her chin roughly, jerking her head upwards.

Her eyes moved away from his after a moment of him watching her and she stared to the marble ground. He tightened his grip and hissed, "Look at me." She obliged, not fighting a single second. "She's very beautiful, Lucius. A touch of Lily Evans, wouldn't you say? I'd look into her parentage. She could be useful."

Lucius Malfoy's face briefly started with panic, but it was a smooth, calculated mask once more. Lucius simply nodded to the request. 

"She's smart as well. Her thoughts tell me that much," the Dark Lord said as he released her chin. She swallowed, not lowering her gaze as he stepped back. "Look into her ancestry, Lucius. There is more to this girl that a simple dumping on the side of the road."

"Of course, my Lord."

There was silence a moment until Lucius barked, "Don't you have some cleaning to do?"

She gasped, grabbing the bucket beside her feet quickly. "I'm terribly, Master. I'll be going-"

"Quickly and stop wasting our time."

She nodded, "Yes, Master," before she hurriedly walked off. The men in the entourage laughed at her leaving and she felt her cheeks redden with a shame she was used to feeling.

"Come, my faithful followers," the Dark Lord's voice echoed in the halls.  
  
And then it was her, her talking to the Dark Lord, the end of it all. Of the servitude to the Malfoy name. 

"I said your best." The sharp tone made Scarlett flinch.

She straightened, curtsying as her eyes dropped to the ground. "My Lord, this is my best."

The Dark Lord wasn't pleased in the slightest. "Take me to where you keep your things. Show me what you have."

"I can bring them to you, my Lord," she spoke quietly, wincing as he stiffened in surprise. "Someone such as yourself should not walk down-"

"I wish to see," he requested. "Do not make me ask again."

"Yes, my Lord," she murmured. He gripped her arm, shoving her in front of him roughly, and forced her to lead him to her room. When he let go of her arm, it was when she stopped walking. The door wasn't anything much, showing just how much was inside. She pushed it open and stepped through. "I have all inside, my Lord."

He stepped through as well, his lip curling as he took hold of one of her gowns. It was one of her worst states, dried blood from her tortures staining the hemlines and bleach stains from washing all over the front. He gazed at her, "You live like a slave."

"I am a slave, my Lord."

"Were you sold to the Malfoys?"

"They were kind enough to take me in, my Lord."

"Then you are not a slave," he stated. "You are of pureblood descent."

She bit her lip, lowering her eyes. "Possibly, my Lord."

"Why not demand more?"

"I have nothing to demand, my Lord," she answered. "I know nothing else but this life... I have been sworn to serve the Malfoys for my entire life-"

He gave her an amused smile, his small, round teeth grinning at her like a fool. "How thoughtful of you." He dropped the gown, his wand waving over the chair before the spell flicked at her. She flinched, as if expecting some punishment. Instead, she looked clean, healthy... but still incredibly skinny, pale, sick. Her hair was brushed down her back, impossibly long, and her dress and apron turned into a dark emerald gown that came mid-calf... brand new looking. "Much better." As she gazed down at herself, she gasped.

"My Lord, this is very... Thank you."

"I expect you in the foyer in fifteen minutes," he stated sharply. He moved from the room, walking briskly. "You are not to leave it until I deem it fit. Do as I say, and I will see to it that you are rewarded."

Scarlett nodded immediately, her eyes impossibly wide in disbelief. "Yes, my Lord. I understand."

And then the scene changed, to the Entrance Hall.

"Did you steal this dress from my wife?"

"No, Master," Scarlett gasped, offended, it seemed, as Lucius sneered down at her. The cane cracked across her cheek and she stumbled away from him, her hand clutching the mark on her cheek. One of his own hands grabbed the skirt of the gown and was ready to tear it from her body, when a voice spoke.

"She's not a servant anymore, Lucius, and I gave her the dress," the Dark Lord spoke. Lucius froze. "Isn't that how one frees a slave? Gift them with clothing. It is truly remarkable she obeyed at all, and didn't realize this." Scarlett was silent, not moving from her position a few feet from her Master, her hand still clutching her stinging cheek.

"Under my knowledge, My Lord-"

"She is of a pureblood family, Lucius, she does not have any rights to be a servant," the Dark Lord intoned, leaving no room for argument. "Therefore, I will be making sure that this girl has the correct standards for a Pureblood. She will head to Hogwarts this year, Lucius. Severus, here, will teach her in all that she does not know." Scarlett looked up towards the Dark Lord, surprise in her eyes, and the pain from the smack numbing slightly. 

"My Lord, she knows too much! She could be a valuable weapon against-" Lucius began to argue.

"She knows nothing, Lucius," the Dark Lord hissed. "Severus, I trust the lessons to start tonight, if you will." The Dark Lord stepped towards Scarlett, pulling her arm from her face. "Follow Severus. He will be teaching you what you need to know."

And they were free.

  
When they were spit out, Blaise was already moving, bottling the memories back up.  
  
"I don't understand," Scarlett murmured quietly. "It wasn't like that... I never went to the third floor bedroom again... He never cared... he never showed me he cared-"  
  
Everyone seemed in shock, processing the memories still, except for Blaise, who yanked her to her feet. He pressed the vial into her hands. "Go to Severus. Show him the memories... And he'll know what to do next, okay?" she nodded, still breathing hard as she tried to think, tried to focus. "If he takes you to Tyler, you make sure he's safe, okay? You make sure he's safe-"  
  
"He's safe," Scarlett whispered. She gave something between a laugh and a sob. "He's safe, Blaise-"  
  
"Go to Severus," Blaise interrupted sternly. "Go, now, before curfew."  
  
"But the memories..." Scarlett whispered, swallowing. "The memories, Blaise... All the memories were fake. All the hate... He was trying to.. to protect me... to protect Tyler-"  
  
"Go to Severus," Blaise said louder, shaking her shoulders to get her to focus on him. "Scarlett. Stop, stop and look at me."  
  
"Oi, mate-" Ron said, standing.  
  
"Go to Severus," Blaise said firmly. "Push it from your mind and focus, okay? You can do it. Go to Severus, run, and he'll take you to Tyler-"  
  
"But what about you-"  
  
"This is something you need to do," Blaise insisted. "Go, Scarlett."  
  
She nodded, throwing her necklace around her neck, and then she grabbed her wand, her feet taking her from the room faster than anyone else could move.  
  
"Bloody hell," Seamus muttered. "I might need more firewhiskey."  
  
Harry suddenly dug into his pocket, pulling out the parchment that he carried around everywhere. A map. He placed it beside the pensieve, knocking a few shot glasses out of the way. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," Harry mumbled. The ink appeared and he tore away at it, trying to locate them, and he found Scarlett running through the halls, turning haphazardly.  
  
"She's almost there."  
  
"She looked like a bloody first year!" Ron cried, pointing his wand at Draco. "You sick fuck, how could you let that happen-?"  
  
"What was I going to do, Weasley?" Draco shot back. "Look up dad's best mates, three times older than me and beg them not to hurt the pretty girl-"  
  
"It was Crabbe and Goyle, you bastard!" Ron shouted.  
  
"I wasn't there, Weasley!" Draco cried. "I was in Italy, alright? I wasn't there. And Crabbe and Goyle didn't know I wasn't there so they went looking for me and they found her." Ron swallowed, his purple face turning to a more healthy shade of red.  
  
But it was Blaise Zabini that concerned Ginny, and she rose, pushing between Draco and Ron, and approached the boy that was breathing hard. "You okay, Zabini?"  
  
Zabini exhaled, his fists clenching. "No. No, I'm not."  
  
The door slammed shut with his exit and Draco Malfoy swallowed. "Right, that's my cue. Not determined to be the only snake in the lions den." Ginny watched them confused, and then turned back to the Gryffindors, all staring in shock.   
  
"She's with Snape," Harry stated. "Just got there... I think her side's hurting, though, because she kept stopping."  
  
Ginny glanced towards Ron, then Seamus. "Alright, I'm up for another round. Anything to chase down what I just saw."  
  
"I didn't know it was that bad," Neville said quietly. "I mean, I kind of knew, you know? She gets that look in her eye sometimes like she's remembering something horrible, but... I didn't think it was that."  
  
Ginny poured them all a glass, and offered one to Cormac, who had been mostly silent. He took it, but didn't drink. "Longbottom's right... You don't think they still haunt her, do you? The memories?"   
  
"I think..." Ginny sipped from her glass, hesitating. "I think when she sees Tyler in person... it won't haunt her as much."   
  
"She had no idea about some of them," Harry said quietly. "She... she looked so confused. I kept looking at her when we were in there. And she either remembered the memory, or she didn't.... like something was different. They kept obliviating her, kept doing good things for her and then hiding them... That had to keep killing her... I mean, the only family you've ever known, and they one day decide to hate you? And then... all of the sudden, she's thrown into this whirlwind of ... I have a son, but he's dead, but then he's not, but then I don't remember..."  
  
"Bloody emotional range of a teaspoon would probably have done her better than that emotional range women have, because bloody hell, I think my head would have exploded... or fallen off."  
  
"She wanted him to kill her first, before he took her son," Seamus spoke up. "Do you think she still believed that? I mean, not now, obviously. She doesn't think that now, but a month ago? That she'd rather be dead than Tyler?"  
  
"I think any mother would rather be dead than their own son," Ginny admitted. "I know Mum would in a heartbeat, if she knew the rest of us were safe. And I think Scarlett would have gladly sacrificed herself, if it meant Tyler could live alright."  
  
"How many times do you think she's been tortured?" Cormac asked quietly. "I mean, not like... emotionally or anything, but... like Cruciatus and ... and everything."  
  
"I don't know, mate," Neville said quietly. "But I know my parents only lasted seven minutes under it. To have thirteen years of that?" He shivvered, chasing it down with a shot of firewhiskey.  
  
"She's bloody brave, I'll tell you that," Seamus said after a minute. "You know how Wizarding marriages are... you don't think she's going to marry Zabini, do you? Not now, but later?"  
  
"No," Cormac spoke. He swallowed when eyes darted to him. "She told me. They already talked about it, apparently. . . They're only friends." He blinked at everyone staring at him. "What? We talk about things... Merlin, what do you talk to her about? Homework? Bloody hell, no wonder all you do is fight with her."  
  
"We talk to her!" Ron cried. "About stuff," he faltered. "Like... Tyler."  
  
Cormac raised an eyebrow. "And her favorite color?"  
  
"Purple?" Harry guessed.  
  
Cormac snorted, but knocked back the alcohol in his hand. "No, Potter. Definitely not purple. Dark red, the same color as her hair." He smirked at the flush that coated Ron's face. "That's why she likes to say in the Common Room for as long as she can." He set the glass down, standing up. "I'm going to bed. She won't be back for a little while."  
  
Ginny followed him, mumbling the same excuse and she grabbed his shoulder, hesitating when he turned, their secret passage to the Common Room sealing behind them. "I know you two are ... dating," Ginny said carefully. "But don't screw up... She doesn't need anything else happening to her that breaks her heart, okay? No shagging Lavender or anything or... or dumping her when she doesn't want to shag or something, alright?"  
  
Cormac frowned. "I'm not going to do that to her... bloody hell, what kind of tosser do you think I am?"  
  
"That's what you did to Brown, it's what you did to Parvati and Padma, and Eloise, and Hannah-"  
  
"I get it," Cormac snapped. He jerked out of her grip on his shoulder. "I'm not going to hurt her, alright, Weaslette? She's... different." And it looked as though it pained him to admit. "Alright?"  
  
"Because if I find out you did hurt her, what I did to Brown will seem like a slap, you got that?"  
  
"Loud and clear," Cormac muttered.   
  
And they went their separate ways, both knowing that Scarlett was in good hands.


	37. Memories

She didn't bother knocking when she reached the Defense classroom. She knew he was inside. He always was, until just after curfew when he began his rounds. He looked up from his desk when she burst through his office, jumpy, but he didn't raise his wand.   
  
"Scarlett?" Severus questioned, confused.  
  
"Do you have a pensieve?" Scarlett asked hurriedly. "Quickly... do you?"  
  
"Yes," Severus said, rising and approaching. "What's wrong?"  
  
Scarlett didn't know. Her mind was whirling. What had all been real? Was she even a servant there? Or did he fake it all? Fake everything...? And everything he had told her... he had always cared, but... he just didn't know how to ... to show it. Who was Lucius Malfoy? "I know where he is," Scarlett said quietly. "But you need to see... you need to understand."  
  
She pulled the vial off of the chain around her neck, passing it to him. As he grabbed it, she clasped his hands around it, holding him still. "I need to know, now... before you see them... If Lucius and Narcissa knew who I was... who my parents were, and they had contacted you when they found me..." Scarlett bit her lip. "Would you have kept me? Or would you have ... dismissed it as a joke?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You were twenty-two or ... or a little younger when I was born, right?" Scarlett asked. He nodded slowly.  
  
"Twenty-"  
  
"Would you have... would you have taken me in? If you knew I was Lily's daughter, if you knew I was your daughter... would you have cared for me?"  
  
"I had nothing, then," Severus told her simply. "No job, all I did was work for the Dark Lord. I wasn't even spying then... I didn't start spying until after she died-"  
  
"So you wouldn't have-"  
  
"I couldn't have," Severus admitted. "I would have most likely tried to work something out... perhaps placed you with the Weasleys, with someone... I knew could raise you well, since I ... I couldn't. But... we're a time when I was completely involved in the Dark Lord's plans. I didn't participate in anything the Order did. I didn't support it... I couldn't have raised you-"  
  
"But what if they told you after?" Scarlett pressed. "After the war was over, after Abraxus died? Would you have then?"  
  
"Probably. I had a job, a stable home-" He swallowed, as though he hadn't given the idea much thought. "I probably would have spent a long time denying it, that you were my daughter, but yes..."  
  
"And... would you have raised me like you are now?" she asked. "The lessons and the fighting and-"  
  
"Undoubtedly."  
  
It was something she needed to hear. She released his hands, let out a breath. At least it eased one thing on her mind.   
  
"Why do you ask with such an urgency?"  
  
"It's in there," Scarlett admitted. "They talk about it and... I just... wondered what the answer would have been..."  
  
"I would have done my best. But it was a time when my best was ... worse than my worst." She nodded and he withdrew a pensieve from his many compartments littering the office, before placing it on his desk, piling a few essays away. He glanced at her expectantly. "Are you going to look?"  
  
"No... My mind is still sort of... slingshotting around my head at the moment... I don't think looking again will help."  
  
He was gone for a while, well after curfew, and Scarlett wondered if she and her friends had been gone for the same amount of time, or longer... she wasn't sure. No one had clocked exactly when they started. When he returned, he bottled the memories exactly as Blaise had done, in a hurried manner, almost frantically and then he was moving around the desk, grabbing her arm as he pulled her along.   
  
"Wha- What are we doing?" Scarlett asked, confused.  
  
"Headmaster's office." He glanced at the portrait that covered his office door, glaring at the man. "Tell Albus to open his Floo. Scarlett and I are leaving." He then placed the vial of memories around her neck and they were moving quickly, his arm pulling her with him, not caring that she was tripping.  
  
But it hurt. Not her arm, but her side. And she really didn't want to reopen the wounds. "Severus- Severus, stop, my side is hurting, please-" He released his arm, but didn't slow his pace and she struggled to keep up.  
  
What was going on? Was he going to Lucius? "We can't go to the Malfoys. They don't remember anything," Scarlett insisted. "When I got Narcissa, she obliviated Lucius and then she asked me to obliviate her-"  
  
"I'm aware," Severus said, as if annoyed. "Keep up. We haven't much time. Perhaps we'll get there in time-"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Scarlett whispered, more confused than ever as Severus led them through the familiar spiral to Professor Dumbledore's office.   
  
"May I ask why you interrupted my nightly tea ritual, Severus?" Professor Dumbledore questioned.  
  
"No time," Severus growled. He threw powder into the Floo, turning to her. "Say Spinner's End, House 213."  
  
She didn't second guess him. "Spinner's End, House 213."  
  
And she was whisked away into a mixture of smoke and ash and then spit out in a dark home, that smelled of dust and had obviously not been visited in a while. She side-stepped Severus as he came out of the Floo next and she didn't have time to ask where they were before he grabbed her arm and promptly apparated.   
  
At first, she was disoriented, and her side hurt her immensely - all the exercise was certainly not good for it - but then she knew... she knew where they were and she breathed in the crisp country air around her, in Wiltshire.   
  
In Tyler's home.   
  
It was dark, but also warm, much warmer than the early Scotland autumn. She recognized it. Not for the light breeze that played with Severus's robes, or the street signs, or the homes around her... No. It was the church that stood prominently in the village, the church that Lucius Malfoy had traveled to nearly two years ago. And then she was running, her side forgotten and she didn't care if Severus was following or not. She had to know... She had to know if Tyler was there.  
  
She knocked so frantically, that if she were the owner, she wouldn't have answered. But a woman did, and she looked just like she had in the memory. Maybe a tad older, but that was time... It was the same woman. And she stared at Scarlett, like she recognized the girl, but not fully. Her gaze flickered behind Scarlett, and Scarlett guessed that Severus had followed.   
  
"I hope you know that it is an ungodly hour. We usually listen to confessions earlier in the evening-"  
  
"A little boy," Scarlett interrupted, her voice quiet, but it shut the woman up. She was breathing heavily, staring at the woman in desperation. "Tan skin, dark, black hair, curly.... A birthmark on his foot... Tyler... Do you still have Tyler?"  
  
The woman's mouth opened in surprise, before it shut. And the wild look in Scarlett's eyes may have been the cause. "Please, tell me you have him," Scarlett whispered. "Tell me he's okay..." She felt the tears building with so much emotion... so much hope. "Is he alive?"  
  
"You're his mother," the woman said quietly, taking in the emotional teenager. "Scarlett... Scarlett Snape." Scarlett nearly sobbed in relief, shaking her head frantically. "Come inside," the woman insisted. She glanced at the man behind her, almost scrutinizing him. "And you are?"  
  
"He's my father," Scarlett said quietly.   
  
"Yes, you best come in as well." The woman shut the door, sighing softly. "A man brought him to me," she stated. "He explained that you would come one day, that he would pay for everything - he's done so much for the town - the money he's given us... we don't use most of it. Very little... We donate it. It's roughly a million pounds a year... he must really care for this boy to keep him so well cared for."   
  
Scarlett felt a sob burst forth and she giggled in hysteria. "You could say that."  
  
"He's such a good boy," the woman spoke to Scarlett, taking the teens hands tightly. "Such a frail thing when he came to us, but... my husband and I have treated him like our own, knowing that one day he will be reunited with his family... We tell him that all the time... Tell him stories about his mother... You look just like the picture in the locket."  
  
"She was my mother," Scarlett said softly. "I'm told we had a great likeness-"  
  
Footsteps sounded and Scarlett jumped, almost as if expecting them to be her own son's but they were much too heavy and it was instead a man, older than the woman in front of Scarlett, and with a mop of gray hair atop his head, glasses on his nose. He reminded her of a younger Dumbledore.   
  
"This is my husband, John," the woman greeted. "And I'm Julia. We own this church. John's the pastor here and I'm the choir director." Godly people... Good people. Tyler was in great hands. "John, this is Scarlett Snape... and-"  
  
"Severus Snape," Severus said firmly.  
  
"Tyler's mother and grandfather."  
  
"Well, I'll be..." John righted his glasses, smiling widely at Scarlett. "We thought you'd be by soon enough. Just yesterday we were wondering if you'd had your eighteenth yet-"  
  
"August," Scarlett admitted. "But there were a few complications... Issues with the information I received. It took a long time to get it all sorted..." Another surge of emotion welled up in Scarlett's throat.  
  
"Would you like to see him?" Julia asked suddenly. "He's asleep but... I'm sure after all this time, you'd love to see him."  
  
"Can I?" she whispered, as though it was a joke. Perhaps it was... Scarlett didn't know. Merlin, he was so close to her. In the same home as she was standing in.  
  
"Of course," Julia laughed lightly. "Follow me. John, why don't you keep Mr. Snape company? I'll take Scarlett upstairs."  
  
"Would you like some tea?" John implored, giving Severus a wide grin. With a glance at her father, she noticed that the man looked decidedly uncomfortable amongst the happy elderly couple.   
  
"That would be adequate."  
  
Very uncomfortable.   
  
"He's such a good boy," Julia insisted. "Always so kind to the other children. We surround ourselves with a lovely group. We have a few goats out back and Tyler loves to feed them - they're so entertaining to him. . . I'd imagine it's been hard on you."  
  
"I didn't know until just after my brithday he was alive," Scarlett said quietly. "When... When Lucius took him, I was so sure he was dead... I've always imagined the worse... I never thought... that he'd be here... with such good people, so happy and..."  
  
"Well of course he was," Julia insisted. "We weren't going to let anything bad happen, darling. Like I said we treated him like our own. John and I used to have children but they've all grown and done other things and forget about their old parents. It's good to have children in the house again! I can't imagine what it must have been like, to think the worst... it must have been so horrible on you, dear."  
  
Scarlett gave her a watery smile. "I'm sorry, I'm such a mess. It's been an emotional few days."  
  
"How far from here do you live?" she asked curiously and Scarlett didn't know. She didn't know geography too well.  
  
"I go to boarding school in a remote village in Scotland," Scarlett said once she swallowed down some emotion. "It's... it's new, I've only started going there this year, but... the drive was worth it... I'm sorry we didn't contact you before hand... I just didn't give it anything of a thought, really... I didn't think much at all..." She took a deep breath, trying to stop from rambling.   
  
"He's growing so tall. I imagine he looks like his father?"  
  
"Yes," Scarlett said softly. "Very much so."  
  
They came to a door that was made of white wood and there were letters printed on lion paper that said TYLER in bold.   
  
"He's asleep, so you'll have to... oh, what does it matter if he wakes up?" Julia cut herself off with a laugh. She pushed the door open and the dark room was lit by a few nightlights. The first thing Scarlett was aware of was the many toys littered around, from small plastic pieces that created buildings or ships to the stuffed animals that went everywhere.   
  
"He loves Legos," Julia said softly. "Every month we buy him a new set with the money, maybe a few shirts... that's all we use it for-"  
  
"It was meant to be used to keep him happy," Scarlett interrupted, her heart beating fast as she spotted the small bed - a child's bed - with a small form sleeping atop it. Her feet carried her towards it slowly, until she spotted the small face, the pouty lips, and the long eyelashes peeking just over the covers. The blue blankets had figures she didn't recognize and one of his little hands clutched at the edge, pulling it under his chin.  
  
She fell to her knees beside him, quietly, as she didn't want to wake him, and gently she lifted her hand, trying her best to keep it from shaking before she touched his hair. It was soft, fluffy, curly...   
  
"He's so big," Scarlett murmured.  
  
"We're Aunt Julia and Uncle John," Julia spoke up softly. "We didn't want him calling us by mum or dad... if he was going to be returned to you... He's the tallest kid his age in the neighborhood, love." Her fingers trailed down his soft, smooth skin, and a quiet sob left her. She wanted to hug him to her, to never let him go, but she couldn't... he was asleep, he was happy.  
  
"Thank you," Scarlett whispered, her voice cracking. "For everything you've done for him... for caring for him... I... I owe you my life."  
  
"Can I ask why you weren't allowed to care for him yourself?" Scarlett's mind whirled with a story. One that desperately needed to be convincing, yet also complex... something that couldn't be traced, really. Her mind raced with all of the options possible until she found one, mentioned briefly by Ron maybe a week ago? She wasn't sure.   
  
"I think... I should tell both you and John together..." Scarlett gave a soft smile to Tyler's sleeping form, not wanting to leave at all. "It's best I tell it all at once."   
  
She stayed, listening to Tyler's sleeping breaths for only a moment longer, before following Julia once more down the stairs. Severus was sipping from some tea, across from an equally as tense John. Obviously they had not ... become happy talking buddies together. John looked up when he heard his wife approach and grinned, glancing to Scarlett.  
  
"Was he as you remembered?"  
  
"He's perfect," Scarlett said quietly, biting her lip to keep more tears from appearing. She had cried enough. She sat beside her father and John handed her a cup of tea, to which Scarlett added a sugar for a little kick.   
  
"Why couldn't you care for him?" Julia asked quietly.  
  
Scarlett glanced at Severus before clearing her throat, setting down her tea cup. "I wasn't... technically, I didn't exist. There were no records of me, my father didn't know I existed, no one knew except for the man that brought Tyler here, Lucius, and a few others. My mother died when I was just a baby, and she brought me to Lucius, told him to raise me... but things happened... and I was brought into the sex trafficking business."   
  
"Oh my," Julia murmured. Severus shifted beside her uncomfortably, but didn't seem bothered by the story she was fabricating on the spot. Scarlett thanked Ron for bringing it up.   
  
"There was another man there, my age, Blaise... And... we didn't mean to have anything happen between us, but it did and... and that's how Tyler came to be. I was terrified, I didn't know what they'd do if they found out... but I told Lucius and his wife... and they paid off the man that owned me so that I could have the child, raise it for myself for awhile, but... my owner wasn't too pleased once he found out the truth... Blaise escaped, he tried to take me with him, but taking me and a child... it would have been too difficult to be effective..." Scarlett swallowed, chewing on her lip as she shrugged. "So Lucius took Tyler one night, before my owner could... and brought him to you. And when he came back, he told me Tyler was dead and that I couldn't keep worrying about him... So I believed him."  
  
"But how are you here?" John asked. "How did you get away?"  
  
"Right before my eighteenth birthday, I visited Lucius," Severus spoke up. "We were friends in school and I wanted to catch up... and when I visited him, he told me that he had a girl... my daughter, in his possession, and that he was working on getting her out of .. the circle she was caged in. Of course, that wasn't good enough for me. I am a Professor in Scotland and I took her from her room and brought her with me to Scotland, hiding her in case people came to look for her -"  
  
"And that's when Lucius told me about Tyler... he couldn't tell me where exactly, in case someone overheard, but that it wasn't too far from where he had lived, and I had lived... so... we searched... and searched... For nearly two months we kept searching and we couldn't find anything. And I ran into Blaise again, found him, and we searched together... And that's how we found you here.. recognized the church from a picture Lucius had taken-"  
  
"Why isn't the father here now?" John questioned. "If you found him-"  
  
"His grandmother is ill," Scarlett spoke up. "She lives in Italy... so we went to go visit her... He had been living with her once he escaped, but he came back to England to try to find me again... and... and Tyler."   
  
"It isn't safe if you remain here," Severus spoke up. "Since Scarlett is gone, they are bound to notice something soon. And with the leader of the trafficking circle living only about ten miles from here, it would be safer if you .. moved. We will pay for the move, everything you need done, as well as some protection -"  
  
"Who exactly are these people?" Julia questioned.  
  
"I don't graduate from my boarding school until next summer," Scarlett said quietly. "I can't take him until then... But these people won't wait. They'll try to use him to lure me and Blaise out, to get to me... or they'll put him into the business and I can't let that happen-"  
  
"No, definitely not," John said firmly. "We'll keep him hidden until you two say it's safe."  
  
These people were so nice... so willing to uproot their entire lives. Good people. Tyler needed good people.   
  
"We need to find a new place to live," Julia murmured. "It will take a few weeks, to get the church dealt with, but... we'll do whatever it takes to keep him from that life."   
  
"Blaise and I have a bit of money saved," Scarlett admitted, much to her father's surprise. "We can do whatever you need. It's meant for Tyler... But Lucius can't keep funding you... because they're beginning to notice his help. We'll give it to help... to keep him safe. And once I graduate... we'll take him, we'll protect him-"  
  
"We're working with officials to try and bring the men down, but... it's a bit more difficult than it sounds," Severus stated. "They require more than just proof, but actually seeing the action take place - and we're unable to have them infiltrate without it being suspicious-"  
  
"Is there a way we can keep in touch? To make sure we all know what's going on-?"  
  
Severus cleared his throat. "If I could have a pen and paper?" John went to go fetch some and returned just a few seconds later, passing it to Severus. Severus wrote an address down delicately. "This address will send anything you ask to an ally, and they will forward the mail to me. It is safer that way."  
  
"Do they have the capabilities to intercept mail?" Julia whispered, confused.  
  
Severus stared at her blankly. "Yes."  
  
"Why is it they want you or Tyler or Blaise so much?" Julia questioned.  
  
"I don't know," Scarlett said quietly. "But I don't want to risk Tyler."  
  
"Nor do we," John murmured. "How quickly do we need to be gone?"  
  
"Ideally, a week," Severus said sharply. "Realistically, a month. The sooner the better."  
  
Scarlett and Severus only stayed for a few more minutes, before Severus stated they had to leave - Scarlett did have class the next day. Scarlett truly did not want to leave, but Julia made her promise to visit yet again, whenever it was safe. Scarlett only happily agreed. When they walked out into the autumn air, she took a deep breath - a breath of calm and resolve. He was safe, happy... loved. All she had ever wanted for him.  
  
"How long have you been working on that story?"  
  
"Five minutes before I told it to them," Scarlett admitted quietly. "It was a little... flimsy, looking back, but-"  
  
"They will believe it for now. It is better to make a story so horrible that it is unbelievable than to make a story too ... happy and they are reluctant to keep watch." She understood that, at least... she thought she did. She wasn't quite sure what she understood anymore. "How was he?"  
  
"Big," she murmured, the Muggle street passing them as they kept walking, trying to find an apparation point. "Healthy... Safe."  
  
"Good. I will discuss with Albus any potential safe houses to hide them in. That would be safer than having them stay in the Muggle world. I will tell you what we decide-"  
  
"What about the potion? We don't need it anymore, but... the Dark Lord knows-"  
  
"We will brew it and put a false location down... Lead the Dark Lord as far away as possible."  
  
"He'll kill us," Scarlett whispered.  
  
Severus was silent, his paces even as they walked towards a more secluded spot - an alley. "Then he will. But he will still not find the location of Tyler."  
  
It was completely idiotic for them to do. So idiotic that it made the uneasy feeling of worry settle once more in Scarlett's stomach. But she thought nothing more of it as he grabbed her arm and apparated her to Hogwarts gates.


	38. Returning Home

"Since when has Zabini been squaring away galleons?" Severus questioned, their steps careful as they kept walking. Scarlett felt her heart beating in her chest, in surprise, in devotion, in happiness. She wasn't sure, but it felt... amazing.  
  
"Just a few," Scarlett admitted. "For when we found him and... if we needed it to support him-"  
  
"I see," Severus murmured. "And for how long has this been arranged?"  
  
"Just recently, sir," Scarlett said quietly. "He surprised me with it, actually. It's apart of his inheritence." Severus nodded. "What will become of them? What are we going to do?"  
  
"You are going to head to your Common Room and rest - you're limping. I am going to meet with the Headmaster to discuss what is the next step." Scarlett frowned slightly. Her side was hurting her, immensely, but... she wanted to help, too. "And when I find out what it is, I will inform you immediately. Is that clear?"  
  
"Y-yes, sir." Scarlett waited a moment, the path steep as they walked. "I just... was hoping to ... to inquire as to whether or not we'd have a plan if the Dark Lord were to find out."  
  
"I would personally ensure that he is brought here where he is out of harms way," Severus stated firmly. "And then we will work on where to go from there." It comforted her, that even if it wasn't an official plan, there was at least some idea on how to keep him safe should the need arise. "The Dark Lord will not find out about it."   
  
But he couldn't promise that, because the Dark Lord would find out. It was just a matter of when.   
  
"I will have an elf bring some ice for your side. How is it healing?"  
  
"Very good," Scarlett admitted. "It's scarring around the blackness, but... I assumed that was normal."  
  
"Yes," Severus said quietly. When they reached the front doors, he cleared his throat, causing her to stop. "The Dark Lord is being led to believe that the child is closer to London... If that is the case, we must move them in the opposite direction-"  
  
"Are we telling them of the Wizarding World, then? If... we're to move them?"  
  
"It's up to the headmaster at this point," Severus said with a frustrated grimace. "Did he wake?"  
  
"No," she admitted after a moment. "He looks so much like Blaise... I don't see much of me in him... Perhaps that's a good thing... Help him blend."  Severus didn't look as though he agreed, but also didn't comment. She hesitated, unsure of how he would react, but she hugged him suddenly, the black buttons of his robes pressing uncomfortably against her face, but she couldn't stop herself. "Thank you... for taking me to him... I owe you so much."  
  
He stiffened, clearing his throat uncomfortably, as the last time she had spontaneously hugged him. She pulled back, biting her lip. "Sorry," she said quietly, but a small giggle leaving her. "I... I should go to bed, but... thank you, sir..."  
  
"Your diary... I've placed an anti-copying charm, a paws-off charm, and a .... something that resembles a blood ward. It will only show its contents to you. So you may continue to use it, if you wish. While inspecting it, I noticed that it is a .... correspondence journal. There is a... essentially, a magical embodiment inside of the journal that... will reply to you, should you ask it something... However, I wouldn't go around telling your friends this. There have been many bad encounters in the past regarding those types of journals with them."   
  
It was an interesting change of topic, but she brushed it off for his discomfort. "I'll use it, sir... Goodnight."   
  
He only nodded, watching as she pushed the doors open to head to her Common Room. It was certainly a good night. Scarlett had to stop herself from practically skipping to the Common Room, she was so happy. So happy and so... just... bursting with happiness. Tyler... Tyler was safe, he was healthy, he was happy... and his caregivers were... were more than willing to let her take Tyler once she was able. She nearly squealed because of it.  
  
She was getting her son back... She was... she could be the mother she never had the chance to be.   
  
"Arcana," Scarlett said with a giggle and the portrait swung open, obviously confused by her excitement at such a late hour. She walked into the Common Room and spotted Harry first, still leaning over his map. And when he was about to tell them that she was there, Scarlett tackled him in a hug, giggling like a first year - at least as she had seen first years giggle. She didn't quite know if they all giggled like she was at the moment.  
  
"You found him?" Hermione inquired as Harry struggled to right them before they fell off the couch.   
  
Scarlett sucked in a big breath, letting go of Harry and trying to keep her grinning and giggling to a minimum as she started to nod. "Yeah... He, uh... he reviewed the memories... and then we were running and ... Merlin... He's so happy... I mean, I didn't meet him, not really. He was sleeping, but his caretakers... They're the nicest people I've ever met and..." She didn't know what to do with herself, where to go, so she sat in the chair by the fire. "They donate all of the money from Lucius to the town, and... they only take a little to buy him a toy or something, but Merlin's... Merlin's beard... He's happy, and healthy, and warm and well-fed and..." She sucked in a breath at the sudden emotion that filled her. "He's got everything I could never give him."  
  
"You actually went there?" Ron asked in surprise. "Bloody hell, no wonder you look like you've gotten a bit nipped by the cold."  
  
She supposed it was a little cold. But she didn't care. She was just so relieved. "Yeah, it was really late and... I felt horrible imposing, but... she knew.. she knew who we were... sort of... And she just let us right in, and we explained... we explained it sort of. I was in a sex trafficking gig and escaped and Blaise escaped and... now they're trying to find us... It was all a bit on the fly, of course, but..." She shook her head, biting her lip. "They're going to let me take Tyler, once I graduate and ... have a place and whatever... they'll let me take him for myself. They've raised him his whole life, telling him his mother would come one day, so... they're called his aunt and uncle..." She saw the shocked expressions on their faces. "I've never had a better day in my life-"  
  
"But what about the rest of the memories?" Hermione questioned suddenly. "The ones you were so surprised to see-"  
  
It made Scarlett pause. "They cared for me, the Malfoys... They just... I couldn't know... Because I wasn't trained in Occulmens, if the Dark Lord saw them be kind to a slave girl... be kind to a Muggle? They would be blood traitors to him..." Scarlett swallowed. "It's a relief, I think," she admitted, tears filling her eyes as she remembered Lucius's look, his horror-filled gaze when the Dark Lord had discovered her. "I thought he hated me, I really did... And I didn't understand what I had done wrong. What made the change, but... I remember that before I was branded.. there were always whispers that the Dark Lord was returning, his followers were rallying again, in miniscule amounts but trying to resurrect him, find a body..." Scarlett blinked, wiping at the tears. "And... just..." She didn't know how to continue, clearing her throat.  
  
"You care for him, after everything he put you through," Harry said quietly.  
  
"He was the only father I ever knew, at that point," Scarlett said softly, deep in thought. "I loved him with everything. He taught me about the flowers, about the portraits... And when everything changed, I still loved him... I mean, I still do... and... he cared for me, in some regards. But, if I had been in his place, with the same threat over his real family's head, would I have acted the same way? I should think not, but in desperate times, you don't really act like yourself. And... he tried... I mean, you saw it... Lucius isn't overly affectionate... he... he shows it discreetly... like Severus. Not in grandeur but in small things... the bedroom for when Tyler was cold, or... warding off visitors, or... carrying me to the elves... it's always the little things... I like little things." Scarlett swallowed. "So... yes, I do care for him still... And I think what the memories showed me... it justifies what I've always felt... I always knew there was something good about him... there was something... something right.... And I'm glad that it was true."  
  
"But how can you just... forgive him for that?"  
  
"I just ... can," Scarlett said, as if confused by Ron's question. "I don't know how, but... I just can."  
  
"It's just... so weird," Ron admitted. "I mean, I never thought Malfoy would be... a good person. I don't like it."  
  
She giggled, struck by the frown on his face. "I know... It's a little out of character, but... I don't think he ever expected me to share those memories... I didn't even know what was in them. I just thought maybe a single location, a few memories around where he would be... I didn't think an entire memory vault dedicated to..."  
  
"To how much he cared for you," Hermione finished. "Do you know why he chose the garden memory? Or the following where he was brushing your hair?"  
  
"No," Scarlett said quietly. "Maybe to remind me that... things had been different. I miss those days, I really do. There was no war, no ... threats. Abraxus, but... they handled him easily. It was so simple, then. I could... be whoever I wanted to be and I had all of the people I wanted to be around and... they wanted to be around me... sometimes... Maybe Lucius does, too... Regret, or... he just wishes that that's what I remember him for? I'm not sure. I don't understand how other minds work."   
  
"Well... I think we've all had a very exciting and emotional day," Hermione said after a moment. "Why don't... we all head to bed?" Scarlett agreed. And when she got to the dorm, Dobby was sitting on her bed, holding a small rag full of ice nervously, but giving her a timid smile.   
  
"Missy needs some ice for her injury, Master Snape says." Yes, she did. It was beginning to hurt... a lot. She took the ice.  
  
"Thank you, Dobby," Scarlett said with a bright smile. She sat down on her bed, realizing that she had skipped Astronomy for the evening... yet again. Professor Bane was going to kill her. She wondered if the teachers were going to make an excuse for her. She shouldn't be ... she needed to apologize to Madame Pomfrey again. But she sighed, changing into her pajamas and she laid on her bed, the curtains still open, with the iced rag pressed to her side, staring at the canopy above her.  
  
"Why do you insist Cormac attend our BAFT meetings?" Hermione questioned as she slipped into the bed a few down from Scarlett. "He's not friends with us."  
  
"He's friends with me," Scarlett returned. "A good friend and I trust him..." She glanced towards Lavender's bed, with the curtains drawn shut around it. Could she hear everything? "Can we not argue about this tonight? Any other night, but tonight."  
  
"... You're right. I'm sorry." Hermione settled into her bed and Scarlett relaxed, knowing she couldn't sleep until midnight when she could take the bandage off and replace it with a new one. Leo purred as he jumped up onto the bed, curling close to Scarlett's injury, as if he knew she was hurt.   
  
There was silence in the dorm for a long time, for so long that she was certain Hermione was asleep and she felt tired herself, deciding it would probably be best to just set an alarm on her wand to wake her. When she awoke, there was a being sitting at the foot of her bed, and she started, but didn't shout out.   
  
"Lavender?" Scarlett whispered, sitting up. The ice had melted, leaving a wet spot on her sweater and bandages, but it was alright otherwise. Leo stirred but didn't wake and Lavender... Lavender was staring at the hands in her lap.  
  
"She's dead because I found your diary, isn't she?" Lavender whispered. "Am I going to be next?"  
  
Scarlett swallowed. What? What did this have to do with ... Oh. It hit Scarlett as Lavender glanced up at her and Scarlett shook her head, aware of the tears in the girl's eyes. "No... you won't be next."  
  
"But she's dead because I copied your diary pages," Lavender pressed. "Isn't she?"  
  
"No... You-Know-Who doesn't want... secrets of anyone he considers valuable, or ... on his side being spilt." Scarlett swallowed. "You can't tell anyone what you saw in the Hospital Wing, Lavender.. Not a soul."   
  
"Do your friends know?" Lavender whispered. "That you're one of them?"  
  
One of them. Was she one of them? She had watched Rita Skeeter's murder... had been glad it wasn't her, but she wasn't one of them. She wanted the Order to win above all else. "Yes. I told them as soon as I got back from the Infirmary."  
  
"I don't trust you. How do I know you won't murder us all? Murder anyone?"  
  
"You don't, but I would never... kill anyone," Scarlett said quietly. Just thinking about killing someone, it made her feel sick. Of hurting anyone. She glanced at the clock. She only had a few minutes before she needed to change her dressings. "You should go to bed, Lavender... I need to change my bandages-"  
  
Lavender stood almost immediately, moving towards her bed. "I never meant... to put him in danger," Lavender said as she climbed into her bed. "Your son. Or yourself... were you Marked because of the article?"  
  
"I was destined to be Marked soon. The article didn't change much." The news, though, seemed to pain her and Scarlett wondered what was going through her mind. But the curtains shut and Scarlett was left alone, in the silence, where she pulled out some gauze and the last of her potion, before casting a silencing charm and going through her quarter-daily ritual.   
  
It didn't hurt as much, anymore, she was thankful for, and it was healing well - the scars were beginning to come in around the scabs and the potion was numbing it almost in its entirety.   
  
She wrapped it up tightly and set her alarm for four in the morning, where she would begin her homework for the next few days. Her eyes darted to the beds around her, before she sighed and relaxed once more, this time under the covers. Scarlett drifted off to sleep, her dreams plagued with the haunted man that had begged her to find Tyler - of Lucius.   
  
When she next saw Blaise, he was seated, and only acknowledged her with a headnod.   
  
"Blaise?" she questioned. "Are you alright?"  
  
He glanced at her, and she saw frustration. Was he... frustrated with her? "I want to hate him. But I can't."  
  
Oh. Frustrated with Lucius, and with himself. "I know," she said quietly. Her fingers strummed on the table before her as she watched him, his fast breaths. "I think we should meet each other at lunch, in the Room of Requirement... I think you need to see something."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "What?"  
  
"We can work on our Ancient Runes project then," Scarlett told him, biting her lip as he seemed confused. "Please, tell me you can pick up a hint that I would like to speak to you privately about something... something that you will take interest in."  
  
He still seemed confused, and she was about to blurt Tyler's name, when understanding dawned on his face. "Oh, yeah, that project... sure." She rolled her eyes at how long it took him, before digging in her bag for her textbook.   
  
She wondered how distracted he was, however, in his head, because he didn't seem to be taking notes, nor paying attention in class, instead staring at the parchment as he moved his quill, but the scratching producing no words as though he wasn't truly trying to make them. It worried her. He was behaving strangely.   
  
The entire class period she wondered why he was so distant, so far away, and the only indication, had she been entirely unobservant, would be the way his eyes narrowed at the parchment, as well, as if scrunitizing it. Scrutinizing someone. Or something. And when they were asked to begin their Ancient Runes project, using up the rest of class time, he didn't make any acknowledgement the teacher had even spoken. Scarlett considered drawing him out of his world, but decided against it. She didn't want to interrupt a train of thought, especially if it would be important, potentially.  
  
She talked about the project aloud, as if he was listening, but she doubted so, and did most of it herself, promising herself that she would have him do the rest when she met him that night in the library for their "confidence lessons" - of which, she doubted they were making much of a difference. She didn't feel confident. She still restricted herself to her own sphere, helped others when they approached her first... and only approached those she was familiar with.   
  
By the end of class, however, he seemed to have barely noticed the moving students and she gently touched his arm, flinching herself when he flinched away from her. She removed her light grip, swallowing. "Class is over... you're in a bit of a daze, there."  
  
She stared at the sleeve she had touched, wondering... he would have told her, she felt, if he had been Marked... right? He hadn't been, when they first met, and she hadn't seen him with bare arms since their first encounter. But... surely, he wasn't. He couldn't have been. He was, afterall, Blaise Zabini - and he had declared himself neutral - at least, to her.  
  
"Right," he murmured. He gathered his things quickly. "We can walk to Defense, yeah?"  
  
She didn't see how it would be any different than any other time they would walk together. They were near the rear of their class, taking their time as they followed the others, just out of hearing distance. "Where is your mind?"  
  
At first, she wasn't sure if she had been heard, but then he shrugged lightly, one hand shoved into the pocket of his pants, and the other curled around a book that was pressed up against his side. "A lot of things. For instance, how the fuck did you and McLaggen actually start dating? Because, I heard that from Weaslette-"  
  
"You talked to Ginny?" Scarlett interrupted, surprised. Blaise glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "When?"  
  
"Malfoy actually. Weaslette approached him in the library Sunday afternoon, before BAFT. Told him to keep an eye on McLaggen, so that she didn't have to worry about him, too-"  
  
"Keep an eye on him?" Scarlett questioned, confused.  
  
"Watch him, make sure he's not being a tosser. So, of course, this was weird. Why would Draco listen to Weaslette? So he talks to me about it, and he thinks you're dating... so... I'll ask again, how did you start dating that prick?"  
  
"He's actually a nice guy," Scarlett insisted quietly. Blaise snorted as though he disagreed. "It was only a week ago... And it's not like it's much. He walks me to my morning classes, we have meals together, and we study together. What else is there to do?" He raised an eyebrow. "He's sweet, he is. And while a lot of people don't think so-"  
  
"The first thing people use to describe him is a far cry from sweet, or nice."  
  
She swallowed. "I know, but... He's not like what the rumors say. I ... I didn't think much about a relationship... It isn't a priority of mine. And he knows that. I don't want romance to distract me from my studies, or my duties or... or anything else that needs to be taken care of. And he - while attentive to my emotions, it seems - respects that. At least, he has so far... so I see no problem with the relationship-"  
  
"You'll be careful with him?" Blaise interrupted suddenly, his voice firm and the look he gave her when he glanced towards her was a warning. "And I mean, make sure he doesn't hurt you-"  
  
"He's not ..." Scarlett let the argument die, not wanting to fight about Cormac. She instead nodded, swallowing. "He's not going to hurt me, but I'll be careful, I promise. I feel like I've already agreed to this with you."  
  
"Probably. I just want to make sure that you're careful..." She smiled gently towards him, but he wasn't paying attention as he worried his lip, seemingly deep in thought. "I want you to know that if anything ever happens, I will always be there to help you... and Tyler."  
  
"Thank you," she said just as quiet, knowing that he was sincere. "And though I don't have much to offer you, I will always be there, as well, to return the favor. It is the least I could do."  
  
"You said you wanted to meet in the Room of Requirement-"  
  
"Yeah," Scarlett said brightly, flipping her braid over her shoulder as she glanced towards the windows as they walked past them, showing her the bright sunny October day outside. "But I'd like to eat a quick lunch first, if you don't mind. I... wanted to show you something - a memory-"  
  
"More memories?"  
  
"I think this one will be something you'd like to see," Scarlett admitted cryptically. She glanced at Blaise to see him nod. "So I'll get a quick bite to eat and then meet you there."  
  
It was agreed. They went their separate ways once in class, and the real dueling began. As always, Potions was an experience. The Slytherins stayed as far from the Gryffindors as possible, and attacked them ferociously. Scarlett was given a rather harmless Hufflepuff as a partner, so as not to aggrivate her side, and the entire time Scarlett couldn't help but wonder if, had she been brought up different... if she would have been like this girl - if the confidence lessons weren't working.   
  
The girl was shy, quiet, didn't meet Scarlett's eyes... It reminded her of herself, just a few months prior. Is this how Scarlett would be? Is this how she would have ended up if she had stayed in the Malfoys care until her eighteenth birthday? She had changed so much in the last two months... She couldn't imagine changing any more than she had, but she knew in the war... well, it would be inevitable.   
  
"Are you alright?" She glanced up from sipping her pumpkin juice to see Cormac giving her a concerned look. Scarlett attempted an easy smile, as if she wasn't trying to analyze her entire time at Hogwarts so far. She couldn't stop thinking about it, since Defense.  
  
"Fine," Scarlett insisted. "I have to head to the Room of Requirements... it's about last night and I need to... to show Blaise something-" She swallowed. "I'll tell you about it tonight, alright?"  
  
"You're leaving?"  
  
"I'll see you later," Scarlett insisted, rising. "I'm sorry..." She made sure to lightly touch her lips to his cheek as she stood, knowing that the argument Harry, Ron, and Hermione were having would lead them not to notice. "Then I'm all yours."   
  
He sighed, as if disappointed, which made Scarlett feel horrible, but agreed.   
  
Blaise Zabini looked... still absent-minded as he settled himself on a comfy couch. The room was one she hadn't seen before, cool, but still warm - if the fireplace in the small room was anything to take for granted. There were further seats, but Scarlett didn't see a point in sitting so far away from him.   
  
"What's this about, Scarlett?" he questioned.  
  
"I showed him the memories, Severus, I mean," Scarlett told him as she sat beside him, biting her lip. "And..." Blaise glanced up, interested now. "We left the castle, and..."  
  
"Bloody hell... you found him?'  
  
Scarlett nodded. "I wanted you to see the memory... to see him... He was asleep but- he was there, and he was healthy, and he was warm, and happy- and so... so perfect, Blaise... I couldn't... I never could have given him all of that, and he was .... he had it."  
  
"Can I..." he swallowed thickly. "Can I see him?"  
  
It was a silly question. She extracted the memory, requesting a pensieve, and as he went to take a look at the son she had been forced to leave in a Muggle location, Scarlett began to drift once more, thinking of how different she would be by the time she graduated. Would she even recognize herself? 


	39. Womanly Ways

Sometimes Scarlett considered cutting her hair. Short - to the same length as, perhaps, Ginny. Just after her shoulder line. It was so difficult to deal with, especially at six in the morning when she was running late for her dawn Occulmency lessons with Severus.   
  
Her side wound still wasn't healed fully, and though it wasn't exactly easy to rip a seam or scab, she didn't want to risk it, and Severus refused to, as well. So it was Occulmency that morning, with some Boggart thrown in - it had been a while since they had done the Boggart lesson.   
  
She groaned in frustration as her hair tangled, yet again, and reached for her brush, grabbing it and untangling the ends of her hair. "Do you want help?" Scarlett nearly jumped at the question, turning to see Parvati sitting up in her bed, nervously fidgeting, as though Scarlett would scold her.   
  
"Oh... you should go back to bed. Breakfast-"  
  
But the Indian girl was already sliding out of her bed, approaching Scarlett, who was standing in front of the mirror as she attempted the braid. "My mother has hair down to her knees," Parvati informed her quietly. "Padma and I braid it sometimes... she likes it when we do."  
  
"My hair isn't that long," Scarlett said after a moment as Parvati undid what Scarlett had previously braided. This was why Ginny braided her hair, instead of herself. Scarlett had absolutely no idea how to do it properly - and make it stay like Ginny could. "I couldn't imagine... I want to cut my hair just at this length-"  
  
"Oh, yes, mum gets frustrated, too... Your hair is really beautiful." Scarlett wasn't sure how to respond to that, but she thanked the girl in her year and watched as she braided it behind Scarlett's back, slowly, sleepily, as if deep in thought. "How is Cormac?"  
  
The question surprised Scarlett. "Sorry?"  
  
"Cormac... You're dating him, aren't you?" Merlin's beard... how had she...? "I won't tell, you know. I'd imagine you'd want to keep is secret from Hermione... She gets rather jealous of you, you know," Parvati stated simply, a matter-of-factly. "You're beautiful, all of the boys in school are panting after you, and you've managed to find the time to take all of the NEWT classes you can possibly fit in your schedule, as well as an apprenticeship program... and a hot boyfriend..." Parvati smiled over Scarlett's shoulder. "You eat meals with him, or he with you... and you sit by each other in the Common Room - anyone would be blind not to notice."  
  
"Oh... yes, it's... it's only been two weeks. We... we're not too concerned with telling Harry or Ron... or Hermione, for that matter."  
  
"Smart, too," Parvati commented dryly. "They absolutely loathe Cormac. Always have. Hermione even rigged the Quidditch try-outs so that Cormac wouldn't make the Gryffindor team and Ron would-"  
  
"What?" Scarlett whispered, shocked.  
  
Parvati had a distinct expression that she had said too much. "Nevermind that. The point is, I would wait, personally, to tell them. When I was dating Cormac, Hermione wouldn't even talk to me-"  
  
"That's ridiculous," Scarlett insisted. "You're so nice to everyone, and-"  
  
"Yes, well, like I said, I'd wait until your relationship is a bit stronger. . . and I apologize, for Lavender... She's a bit jealous, as well... She doesn't take break-ups well, and... she absolutely loved Cormac, swore they were getting married... She just ... lost it a bit when she saw you two on the train. She's not usually vindictive, and... she's been a bit subdued since the Rita Skeeter incident... I know she shared your diary, but... Hermione requested that we not say anything to anyone about it-"  
  
"You can't," Scarlett interrupted. "They killed Skeeter for sharing that information... if they knew it was Lavender-"  
  
"I know," Parvati said quietly. "She's a tad scared of you, since that happened. A few people are, but... you're nice, and... I don't think you could ever hurt a fly, honestly. Or you even know how to hurt a fly - it's just not something I see you doing... anyway, I'm getting off track... Cormac's good to you. When I was dating him, he wasn't nearly as he is with you - he listens to you, and bloody Merlin, I couldn't even manage to get him to listen to me talk about anything other than sex for three minutes-"  
  
What? Scarlett bit her lip, hesitating as she met Parvati's eyes. "Uh... I'm sorry?"  
  
"You two haven't...?" Parvati seemed surprised by something. "You two haven't slept together?"  
  
"No... Should we have?" Scarlett didn't know how relationships worked, but... she didn't get the impression that sex was... Cormac and her had barely snogged, for Merlin's sake - barely even kissed!   
  
"No!" Parvati insisted. "No, absolutely not. It's better that you don't until later," she said matter-of-factly. "You should want the relationship to be more about your personalities complimenting each other, I think." She tied off the braid. "And he's definitely interested in you for your personality. I've never seen him try to make someone notice him for so long - he was so frustrated, kept pestering me about what you liked - and, of course, we aren't too close, so I had no idea... and with you being so busy, he just had no idea how to make you notice him-"  
  
"I'm sorry," Scarlett said, unsure of what to say. She turned to face the Indian girl, seeing that she was smiling.   
  
"Oh, no, it was amazing. He really likes you... I mean, he usually gives up after a few days, but he kept pestering everyone for nearly a month until you were able to notice him - bloody brilliant." Oh. Scarlett still wasn't sure what to say, but Parvati didn't seem to need a response. "Though I'd completely expect you to be dating Zabini. I mean, look at that body! He's got to be so fit-"  
  
"Er, I wouldn't really know... to be honest," Scarlett said carefully. "It's been a long time-"  
  
"Of course," Parvati said immediately, almost looking ashamed. All these mood swings were making Scarlett dizzy. "Do you know if he's single... Because I'm very interested-"  
  
"I think he is, actually," Scarlett interrupted before she could continue. "But I'm running late for my Potions class with Professor Snape... Sorry to cut this short-" She reached for her bag. "Thank you for braiding my hair. That was very nice of you."  
  
"I'm glad we had this talk," Parvati grinned, but Scarlett was already heading out the door. She wasn't that glad, honestly. That talk had pretty much made her head twirl more than when she contemplated how much she had changed last week - when Blaise was reviewing the memory of her with Tyler.   
  
"You're late," Severus intoned.  
  
Scarlett winced. "Sorry, sir... Parvati was up and she wanted to talk... I got away as quickly as I could." He simply nodded and gestured for her to sit. "Sir, I had a thought about Occulmency," Scarlett began as she sat down, setting her bag down at her feet. "The theory of Occulmency is to occlude your mind, to conceal memories, but... it would be more like a pond, wouldn't it? A personal pensieve in your mind... All of the memories are in the pool, but you have to order them, which ones are insignificant, they go first in the pool, and which are more important, those are shoved at the back, barricaded to keep from mingling with the unimportant ones..." He nodded, indicating that she was correct. "So... while I'm occluding, I also need to not-occlude. But this is where my question begins... every memory is important... reveals something... it's our memories that make us who we are... so how can I catagorize them?"  
  
"You'll need to determine what is important in your life, to you, or to something you care about... and then figure out what is insignificant. What is okay for the Dark Lord to see? To know about you?"  
  
Scarlett bit her lip, frowning. She wanted the Dark Lord to know nothing about her, but she knew he already did. "I... I'm not sure. Obviously Tyler. That's a given... But then there's other things. He can't know about Lily. If he did, you'd be in danger. And then there's my friends... he can't suspect that I'm truly loyal to them-"  
  
"Correct. So... what do you show him amongst your friends?"  
  
"Small things," Scarlett answered, as if this were a test. "Right? I'd show him insignificant things that don't show emotional attachment - on my part, anyway. Perhaps studying in the Common Room, or-"  
  
"Yes," Severus nodded. "And with Mr. McLaggen?"  
  
Scarlett swallowed. This was slightly more difficult. "I don't know... My Hogsmeade memories are ... relationship heavy, I suppose. But I could include snippets of our conversations... and afterwards, there were times where we would hang out, study, but... that would suggest a relationship, either way-"  
  
"So, if the Dark Lord were to look through your mind, he would find out about your relationship with McLaggen." Scarlett didn't like that. She hadn't known Cormac for long, but she knew that he couldn't be in danger, either. "Unless...?"  
  
"Unless I alter the memories, without really altering them?" Scarlett suggested. "Like with did for Skeeter... or me, when we were trying to change my fear."  
  
"Very good."  
  
Scarlett bit her lip. "How would I go about altering my own memories? What does it require? Or... do we plant fake memories in my head, but leave the real ones tucked away, in the barricaded section?"  
  
"You do whatever you think is best... Whatever you think you can use to fool him the best. Since this is an ongoing relationship-" he didn't seem particularly pleased, "-altering your memories would alter the relationship, end it, and would require more altering. Creating fake ones would be much the same, but your relationship would continue - if you are prepared to create fake memories every day regarding McLaggen. Both would require a lot of work, but the second option would be over a long period of time, whereas the first could be done in a matter of days."  
  
"Because Cormac would be leverage," Scarlett said quietly. "And putting him in danger isn't fair to him." Severus agreed, nodding once. "But it would hurt him, make everyone suspicious-"  
  
"Precisely," Severus said, smirking, pleased. "So...?"  
  
"So... I would have to do it the other way, to change memories every day, so that the relationship isn't revealed." Knowing exactly... what she was doing, well, it calmed her. She loved when he helped her work out things, without giving her much direction, just a shove. When he had her think of decisions that could potentially have dangerous consequences, because the more practice she got with his help, the more she would be ready when he wasn't available, and she had to make decisions at the drop of a hat - she knew that she would have to at least once in the war. Severus couldn't be with her always, guiding her. "How would I go about doing that? We never got to that part."  
  
"Show me a memory and I will teach you," Severus intoned, standing and seating himself just slightly at the front of his desk. It was a simple request, but Scarlett still hesitated, before she realized... he knew everything about her. She had no secrets anymore. "A bet?" he questioned when she opened her mind to him. He considered the memory, before nodding. "What is it you two would bet on? By Christmas?"  
  
Scarlett thought for a moment. What was happening in Gryffindor House? "Well... there are bets on if Ron and Hermione will end up together... there are also bets on if Lavender will actually persue Ron, because she's been flirting with him since term started. Also, bets on if Hermione will murder Harry for the Potions book he has-"   
  
"Potions book?" Severus questioned sharply.  
  
"Er... yeah, Harry didn't buy his Potions book because he thought that he wasn't in Potions this year - he only got an E on his owls, and when you taught, apparently all you accepted were Os, so Slughorn had him and Ron take some old books out of the cabinet and Harry's has writing all in it - notes to help him in class. I copied a few of them into my own book. They're brilliant," Scarlett insisted. "Shortcuts - of course, shortcuts are dangerous, but these take out all the unneccesary steps that any trained potioneer would notice-"  
  
Severus looked positively horrified. "And he has looked through the entire book?"  
  
"Er, yes... sir," Scarlett said, confused. "Is everything alright? Is this book bad-?"  
  
"I want you to take this book from Potter, replace it with a different one, your own. Potter mustn't keep using this book-"  
  
"You know of it?" Scarlett questioned. "So you know who the Half-Blood Prince is?"  
  
Severus blinked. "Of course I do. The Half-Blood Prince is me. Potter mustn't learn the spells in the margins... They're dangerous. I was a fool to create them. I want you to bring the book to me, once you've traded it, and I will take care of it-"  
  
"But I won't have a Potions book," Scarlett interrupted. "If I give Harry mine-"  
  
"I'll take care of it," Snape snapped. "Bring it to me tomorrow night." She could do that. She nodded and he seemed to get back on task. "Now, of those options, which would most likely cause you and McLaggen to talk to one another?"  
  
"Probably the Hermione and Ron bet. All of Gryffindor's in on it," Scarlett admitted. "I've added a few sickles myself to this spring, after the Quidditch match..." He raised an eyebrow. "The winner gets nearly a hundred and fifty galleons at this point," Scarlett shrugged. "I figured Tyler could use it. That's nearly eight hundred dollars in the Muggle world and... that's a lot of money."  
  
"Indeed." He nodded after a moment. "So, extract the memory and place it in the pensieve on my desk." Scarlett rose, doing exactly as asked. "Once you are in the memory, focus on changing the element. Keep as much the same as you can, but use your want like an obliviation spell, only alter the contents. Since you are extracting the memory with a copying charm, you will keep the original memory in your mind, but this will be the copy - it is precisely what you did with Lavender and I finished."  
  
It didn't sound too difficult. She landed in the memory, listening to Cormac propose the bet. "How long do you think it would take for Potter to notice we're dating?" She flicked her wand, and the memory restarted. "How long do you think it will take for Granger and Weasley to get together?"   
  
"It depends," Scarlett admitted quietly. "It could be anywhere from this breakfast to... weeks from now. Ron's only observant when he wants to be."  
  
He hummed and poured some coffee for himself, sipping it and then making a face. "No cream." She giggled as he made his coffee to his liking and then sipped it again. "Are you going to try to force it?"  
  
"They'll only make a scene," Scarlett sighed. "You know how they are."   
  
"More fun to have them guess?"  
  
"More fun," she agreed, giggling. "Which is evil, but... maybe by that time they'll finally realize they're made for each other."  
  
"Well, I take it Granger already knows."  
  
"Sort of," she agreed quietly. "But... not really, I don't think. We'll see."  
  
"Do you want to bet on it?"  
  
"Bet?" she asked.  
  
"I'll give you fifteen galleons, if you win. And you'll give them to me, if I win."  
  
She bit her lip, thinking about it. "I give them three weeks."  
  
"I say by the next Hogsmeade trip," Cormac said cheerfully. He sipped from his coffee again. "So, deal?"  
  
"You're on," Scarlett grinned.   
  
She was spit out and nervously bit her lip, glancing at Severus. "I just changed words... I wasn't sure how to change visual-"  
  
They continued with it for a good twenty minutes before he declared that they were good memory alterations and that planting them would take some time, as she needed to form a strong barrier around the other memories she wanted to hide - so that they looked like it was another wall of her skull.   
  
It made her head ache with the constant penieve jumps. "What do you know of Veriteserum?"  
  
Scarlett swallowed. "Three drops I'm telling everyone the location of Tyler."   
  
"Yes," Severus agreed. "Did you know that you can build a tolerance to Veriteserum?"  
  
"I... I did not," Scarlett admitted. Is that what they were going to work on?  
  
"We'll start with one drop. Once you've successfully mastered that, we'll move onto two, and then three, and then four. Anything more than four drops is lethal and no one will administer it. While under the effects of Veriteserum, it is more difficult to Occlude, as well. So, at the beginning of every lesson, we will start with a drop, and by the end of the lesson, you should be perfectly normal. It only lasts an hour, or so, weakening as the time goes on." She agreed. They had about an hour until History of Magic began, anyhow. "If the Dark Lord ever suspects you are lying, he will not hesitate to use this." She nodded.   
  
She held out her tongue and Severus dropped one single drop onto it, and once she swallowed, he raised an eyebrow. "What is your name?"  
  
Her words tripped over themselves, as if she couldn't get them out fast enough. "Scarlett Lilliana Snape." It seemed to surprise him, the use of Snape instead of Prince.  
  
He cleared his throat, continuing, and Scarlett was slightly more prepared this time, knowing the compulsion. She fought against it as he asked, "Who is your mother?"  
  
"L-" She sucked in a breath, but it didn't stop. "L-Lily... Lily Evans!"  
  
"You're trying, good," Severus intoned. "Who is your father?"  
  
"Sev-Sever-Severus Snape," Scarlett panted. Bloody hell, this was difficult.   
  
"Your son?"  
  
"No-" Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut, as if that would block the question from her. "T-T-" She didn't want to bite down on her tongue. She knew, given this serum, that if she did, she could very well bite it off. "Ty-Tyler. Tyler-"  
  
"And your boyfriend?"  
  
She couldn't. "I do-don't-" She sucked in a sharp breath, once more, and released it in a series of "Co-Cor-Corm-Co... Rm... Mac. Cormac."   
  
"Do you know the location of Tyler?"  
  
"N-n-Yes!" Merlin. She could feel a tension in her neck, and her words were choking in her throat as she tried to fight them.   
  
"Where?"  
  
And it continued and by the time the hour was up, she had a splitting headache and difficulty breathing. She sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes shut. "Is it always like that?"  
  
"Yes," he said firmly. "When we see each other next, we'll start with this and then move onto the boggart, since we were unable to, today." It was a good idea, to her.   
  
She barely saw Cormac until later that night, Harry gone to meet with Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione taking to the library for a test in Potions the following day, and so Scarlett was alone with him, seated up in the window, her healing book on her lap as she casually flipped the page, listening to him scribble an essay.   
  
"Dumbledore and my father know," she spoke up quietly, causing his quill to pause. She glanced up from her book, biting her lip as he seemed surprised. "Parvati knows, Draco and Blaise... I think Ginny knows-"  
  
"Ginny knows," Cormac confirmed with a nod. "And the Trio?"  
  
"Blissfully ignorant," Scarlett said quietly. She bit her lip, glancing back to her book. "Has my father treated you any differently?"  
  
"No," Cormac admitted. "Fully expected it, and now that you mention it, he has been giving me some dirty looks, but nothing... nothing destructive. Same scores on my essays." She gave a small sigh of relief. Good. He seemed like the type of man that would make his life hell, if he had known. "The bet only applies to the Trio," he reminded her. "So, the whole school could find out, and they'd still be blissfully unaware. Though, by the state of things, it looks like I'm winning."  
  
She smiled, tucking a strand of hair away as she glanced towards him, their shoulders bumping. "You just want me to ask you to Hogsmeade."  
  
"Also keeping Potter in the dark. It's amusing." She didn't doubt it. She would never understand their relationship - Cormac and Harry's. He hesitated a moment, before gently moving closer to her. Scarlett giggled, rolling her eyes, and set her book aside, gently pulling on his tie so that their lips met.   
  
He was always so hesitant, when they kissed. It wasn't as though she would pop. Oh, that would be horrible, popping if she was kissed. She could only imagine. But, no... it was as if he was worried he might scare her away. Did he believe he was a horrible kisser? Oh, please, if he did then there were much greater problems - as he would be slightly delusional.   
  
His fingers were digging into her hips. Not painfully, but just with enough pressure that she could feel each digit, and as her arms went around his neck, purely on instinct, she pulled away slightly, catching her breath. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at this whole snogging nonsense," she admitted quietly, biting her lip as Cormac chuckled. "So you may have to teach me-"  
  
"Gladly," Cormac murmured and he was kissing her again, this time with no hesitation. She knew there were others in the Common Room - other school mates that already had suspicions about her and Cormac, but Scarlett found that she truly wasn't that concerned with them finding out. She just wanted people to like her, and plenty of people liked Cormac, so it wasn't an issue with her.  
  
There was a sudden moisture that darted to her bottom lip and it wasn't his own lips. It confused her for a moment and her mind quickly ran through what it could possibly be... until she was struck with the obvious notion it was his tongue. It still didn't explain why ... well, she supposed it meant- She granted him access to her mouth. When she had been at the Manor, this sort of kissing was how the men would greet her, and she wasn't really given a choice. Was his tongue gently touching her a ... a question on if it was okay?   
  
She wasn't sure, but it seemed to be permission enough. It was different, not forceful like the other men, but... gentle, slow, as though he was guiding her, but he wasn't hesitant. He was very sure in what he was doing.   
  
"Potter's coming," a voice spoke up suddenly and it was all they needed to be parted and Scarlett flushed, spotting Seamus sitting a few feet from them on a chair. Scarlett quickly pulled her sweater down, where Cormac's hand had caused it to ride up, thankful she still kept the bandages around her mark. As she straightened, she glanced at Cormac.  
  
"Fucking Potter," Cormac muttered. Scarlett laughed quietly, opening up to the page she had been at. His lips touched her cheek just as they heard the portrait swing open and then he grabbed his quill, resuming his essay. Scarlett still felt flushed, embarrassed at being roused out of her critical and Cormac-enduced haze, but still grateful. She could only imagine the scene if Harry had found out that way. "What if we make this bet interesting?"  
  
Scarlett raised an eyebrow, glancing towards him. "Oh?"  
  
"We make it as obvious as possible to everyone." But... that would mean... the Dark Lord could find out. She swallowed. "And if they still don't notice..."  
  
"Okay," she said quietly, against her better judgement. "But nothing that involves the majority of Slytherin house... I don't want you to be in danger."  
  
He was quiet a moment, before nodding. "Agreed."   
  
"So, what does this entail?"  
  
"You'll see," he murmured. "I've got to think of some amazing ideas to pitch to you." Oh?   
  
**  
  
"No, my Lord," Scarlett answered, clearing her mind as he met her eyes. "There are simply no ways I can ask Potter about his meetings without prying, and then he grows suspicious of my asking." She swallowed as he didn't seem pleased with that. "But... my Lord, I was able to learn that... he is trying to get something from Slughorn," Scarlett admitted. "He won't tell me what, just that Dumbledore wants Slughorn to collect him, to get to know Slughorn... It all sounds like a breach in teacher-student relations, but... it was all I could find out before he clammed up."  
  
"Slughorn..." The Dark Lord seemed to ground the name out like it was gravel. "I see... How unfortunate he's in the fool's grasp. You've done well, Scarlett." She was thankful, and gave him a small smile. "Grown up so fast..." She tried to stay calm. "Any suitors?"  
  
"Suitors, my Lord?" Scarlett questioned, confused. Did he know about Cormac?  
  
"Anyone interested in you? I've heard that you and the McLaggen boy have grown quite close. Friends, but... some think otherwise."  
  
"Oh," Scarlett said quietly. "Yes, he's a friend," Scarlett said carefully. "Weasley and Potter aren't very fond of him, but I've found he's better company to study with than, say, the arguing pair are." The Dark Lord seemed very interested. "Is there a reason, my Lord, that you're asking me about him?"  
  
"I thought that you would be interested in the Zabini boy, romantically. But apparently not?"  
  
"Blaise?" she questioned, feeling the eyes of every Death Eater in the Inner Circle watching her. "Oh, no. Don't get me wrong, it would be an honor to be apart of the Zabini family, but... we aren't interested in each other in that way. Friends, strictly."  
  
"How interesting, considering you cannot marry anyone, but him."  
  
She swallowed. "Yes, my Lord... But, we've come to the conclusion to persue other romantic interests. He wants me to discover myself, now that the option is presented to me... To, um... develop my personality, what attracts me, those sort of things. He feels it would benefit me more, in the future, than to rush right into things - that happened between us before and neither of us were fond. And, when the time comes, if we both wish to pursue each other, then there would be no qualms against it."  
  
"Smart," the Dark Lord commented. "If you were to be involved romantically with the McLaggen boy... do so. I've heard he is rather fond late night conversations at the pillow. His father works with the Ministry, the Minister himself... He could prove to have useful information. Do what is necessary to find out what you can. I am assured that you will not disappoint me?"   
  
"Of course, my Lord, I will not disappoint," Scarlett agreed immediately. He wanted her to date him? For information? It made it all feel so wrong, the idea of using him.   
  
"Severus, you will not like this," the Dark Lord spoke firmly, rising, "but your daughter is simply too beautiful. Her using her body for information... it is an opportunity that I must not let pass up." Her ... body? Sex. He wanted her to use sex to find out things. "Afterall, she is well trained, are you not, Scarlett? Will you show me how many have trained you?"  
  
Trained her? She swallowed, simply nodding and pushing those memories to the front of her mind, allowing the Dark Lord to penetrate and puruse them.   
  
"Vincent Crabbe... Lukas Crabbe..." The father of the boy that tormented her first shifted slightly in his chair. "Gregory Goyle... Oh, his father as well." Scarlett didn't feel like she needed to respond. Did he have to announce it? "Rabastian... Rodolphus... Macnair... You gave him a broken jaw... rather naughty, that. Scabior... Greyback... I daresay you enjoyed that one." She hadn't. She most definitely had not, but Greyback... Greyback hadn't hurt her to the extent of the others. She would even venture to say that Greyback was almost tame, quick. Where the others liked to ... drag it out, make her hurt as much as possible. "Blaise, of course... Marcus Flint... What a surprise, Theodore Nott - his father, too?"  
  
She swallowed. "Anyone that visited Malfoy Manor in the last six years, my Lord, that had learned of me-"  
  
"Six years? Are you not eighteen now?" The Dark Lord swept his gaze to Lucius. "Barely even a woman, Lucius. How ... disturbing."  
  
Her father was tense beside her, the hand under the table clutched into a tight fist of anger.   
  
"Scarlett?" the Dark Lord questioned suddenly. Scarlett glanced up sharply, confused by his sudden light tone. "I think someone needs to teach you properly... without all that slavery nonsense, don't you agree?"  
  
"So I may... perform properly for McLaggen," Scarlett guessed, the words difficult to get out. He wasn't serious. She begged that he wasn't serious, but as his eyes seemed to light up, his mouth twisting into a sick grin, she knew that was exactly what he was.   
  
"Precisely... Severus and I have much to talk about privately, anyway. I would hate for you to be stuck in the Manor all alone, waiting for him to apparate you back. . ." Merlin, he was bloody mental, wasn't he? She was starting to sound like Ron. "Fenrir?" The werewolf in question was at the far end of the table, his posture stiff and his arms crossed. "You may teach her. Consider it a consolation for being so fond of her a few years ago." A prize. She was being treated like a prize to be won. "I expect, Scarlett, you to learn well and secure McLaggen for information soon."  
  
"Of... of course, my Lord," Scarlett admitted, though she felt a bit ill. Greyback...? The stories, the victims... Merlin, the victims she had to clean up. As people began to file away, knowing they were dismissed, Scarlett felt a bit numb.  
  
"My Lord, I must recommend someone else... perhaps the Zabini boy," Severus spoke up. "I do not want her infected with the werewolf-"  
  
"Ah, yes... But I think the Zabini boy would be a conflict of interest, do you not?" the Dark Lord interrupted. "Greyback will teach her, but Fenrir... if you dare bite or scratch her... do anything to infect her, you will beg for death, do you understand?" At least there was that bit of protection. Greyback nodded stiffly, seeming to understand, as he rose. And Scarlett rose quickly as well, squeezing her hands together to hide the trembling.   
  
Severus grabbed her arm, halting her. Their eyes met. "You can fight-" But they both knew she wasn't strong enough for holding off a werewolf. She just nodded, silencing him. She cleared her throat, drawing the Dark Lord's attention, making Greyback pause.   
  
"I am to sleep with McLaggen," Scarlett spoke up, "there is still the matter of my Mark. It would be visible-"  
  
"Glamours," he said off-handedly, as though he didn't want to discuss the topic further, or she were an idiot for not thinking of it. "Hide it well. Have fun, Scarlett. Consider this a gift, as well... Afterall, you seemed so fond of him in your memories."   
  
Not fond, glad. Glad that he didn't kill her like the other bodies she was forced to clean up. Severus gave her another look, but Scarlett simply nodded and turned, doing her best not to glance at Greyback as he followed her into the hall.   
  
"Where are we going, girlie?"  
  
"Third floor," she responded evenly. "Second bedroom on the right." She might as well choose a comfortable room. He didn't seem to protest against where she was saying and they continued down the hall in silence. And when they reached the destination, as soon as she entered the room, he had her pinned against the wall, his face close to her, making her breath hitch in fear.   
  
"You smell like him," he growled. "It's in your hair... your clothes... McLaggen's everywhere. You sure you haven't already fucked him?"  
  
She swallowed, trying to hide her fear, but she knew he could smell it, as well. "I don't want to do this," she admitted quietly. "Please, we don't have to do this."   
  
He snorted, his head dropping to the crook of her neck, his nose running along it as he sniffed. "Mmmm, but I think we do, girlie. I'm not giving up an opportunity like this... where your daddy can't kill me for it." Oh, God...   
  
"Then please... don't hurt me," Scarlett pleaded. "If... if they see bruises, they'll ask questions I can't answer... So don't hurt me, please."  
  
"Tell me, girl, did you really enjoy it all those years ago?"  
  
"I was more glad you didn't kill me, like the others you ..." She didn't want to say the words. She sucked in a sharp breath, feeling his tongue dark along the crook of her neck, whimpering in fear. "You can't bite me.... you can't-"  
  
"I'm not going to bite you," he growled. "I'm marking you as mine..." He licked yet again and she felt like she was going to vomit. "Tell me, girl, you ever had sex for pleasure before?"  
  
She whimpered. "N-no," she admitted honestly. And she didn't think she ever would, at this rate. He was definitely not going to- She gasped as he pulled her uniform sweater over her head, throwing it into the depths of the room. And with a rough tug of his hands, her white button-up shirt was quick to follow. She whimpered again, standing in nothing but her skirt and bra before the vile man.   
  
"Good," he growled. "Because I want to be the first one that does it to you." She doubted that would happen. Her skirt fell to the floor and she felt his hands grip her sides, but gently - which was a bit surprising, she supposed. Her breathing was fast and she squeezed her eyes shut, unable to control the wobbling of her jaw as she fought not to cry.   
  
He didn't kiss her. In fact, he didn't move from that position for a very long time, so long that by the time Scarlett's breathing had calmed, and her eyes opened, he was watching her, his eyes a shade of blue and amber, and meeting her own as he assessed her.   
  
"Like I said," he stated firmly, daring her to fight. "And the Dark Lord said, sex for pleasure. You should feel honored... Not many bed an Alpha and live to tell about it." She doubted she would tell anyone. His rough hands didn't mess with the injury on her side, but he did brush against it. "Is this where he Marked you?"  
  
She swallowed, nodding carefully, tears falling at the jerky gesture.   
  
"Then I'll have to be careful, won't I?" he grunted, as if the idea didn't please him. And Scarlett saw a brief spasm flit across his face, confusing her. He felt opposed to something... Did he not want to sleep with her? She was totally fine with that, more than happy, in fact, if he just stopped.   
  
Her knickers fell to the floor, leaving her nearly naked, but he didn't seem inclined to take off her bra, which she was okay with. The less naked she felt, the less she would be reminded of the other times... where others hadn't been as thoughtful.   
  
"How long ago?"  
  
"What?" she asked, confused.  
  
"Since the Mark?"  
  
"Two weeks," she answered quietly. "When he killed Skeeter-"  
  
"And since you've had sex?"  
  
That she wasn't sure on. "Three months, maybe four," she swallowed. She didn't see how that mattered.   
  
"By force?"  
  
She nodded, not know where this was going. "What does that have to do with anything? You're going to fuck me no matter what," she said crassly. He snorted, as if amused.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Uh... I don't remember, but... it was either Scabior or Theo Nott." He made a noise in his throat, his hands going lower so that they rested more on her thighs than her hips. She swallowed back a whimper, staring at him as she tried not to be afraid. She had other things to be scared about - Tyler, being the largest. If he got Tyler... if he got Tyler, she was doomed. Not Fenrir, but the Dark Lord, and.... and if this kept the Dark Lord preoccupied, if he was more worried about this than finding him, then that would be okay.  
  
She took a deep breath. She was a Gryffindor. Gryffindor's had... they had courage and they could stare a wolf in the face, right? She could do this. So she was okay. She would be okay. He said he wasn't going to hurt her. He didn't need to promise - the threat on him was enough for him to comply. She would be fine. She had to be.  
  
"I haven't put a woman before myself in... a very long time," he grinned ferally. "So this will be interesting." He didn't kiss her, which she was grateful for, but he was quick about it, as well. And while she didn't feel pleasure, she didn't feel pain, either. It was a medium, one she could live with.   
  
When he finished, he seemed angry. Scarlett simply got off of the bed, searching for her clothing, hoping she could escape him. "You didn't like it?"  
  
She paused, her white button-up half on. "I... Not really," she admitted, swallowing. Was he going to hurt her because of it? "I'm not here because I have a choice..." She began to button her shirt, mending the broken buttons with her wand. "So... no matter what you did, I wasn't going to like it."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "I bet I can change that in five minutes-"  
  
"You couldn't in the hour we just spent-"  
  
He seized her suddenly, but she didn't feel afraid. He still couldn't hurt her. She stumbled back, falling into one of the chairs that had her skirt draped over her. As he gripped her thighs, he suddenly spread them apart and he knelt before her, his feral grin making her swallow. Was was he doing? He couldn't possibly be ready for another round... Men didn't... they couldn't recuperate for a few minutes, at the very least.   
  
"What are you doing?" she demanded as he stared down at her. Her knickers were on, so he would have to take them off first, before anything, but he didn't seem intent on that. Suddenly his hand was cupping the fabric, making her breath hitch and he applied just enough pressure that she felt like something was spiraling in her, a tingling.   
  
"Feel that?" he asked, his eyes staring into her own as he continued with his minstrations, the feeling getting stronger. It made Scarlett almost uncomfortable, the feeling, but... but also good. It felt very good.   
  
"I... I feel it," she admitted, surprised when her voice was soft, breathy... unlike herself. What was he doing to her?   
  
The minstrations continued and she had to break their eye contact, her head flying to rest at the back of the chair, a gasp leaving her at the feeling building. And then suddenly he removed his hand and she dropped her gaze to look at him, her breath coming in pants.   
  
"I'll let you know what it feels like, at the end, the next time," Greyback promised her. She hated that he had something she wanted... she wanted to know what it felt like... for whatever that was. "Did you learn something? How to please McLaggen?"  
  
Did she? She thought back to the hour spent in between the sheets, Greyback doing things far different than she knew - with her on top, with him guiding her into positions she wasn't familiar with. While none of them made her feel anything like just then, she had learned there were more ways than one to... to please someone. Greyback certainly seemed pleased. "Yes," she responded carefully, swallowing as he stepped away from her, satisfied that the Dark Lord would be pleased with that fact. She grabbed her skirt, pulling it on, and then reached for the sweater laying atop the dresser. As she dressed, she glanced towards the man, finding he wasn't too worried about redressing. He was lazily pulling hit shirt back on, and then his pants.   
  
"How soon will he want me to sleep with McLaggen?" she questioned. "Do you have a guess?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"  
  
She hated admitting some resemblence of a weakness, of something that didn't exactly count as a strength. "I've never... initiated anything, is all," she said quietly. She cleared her throat. "I don't know what that entails, really..."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "You've never gone up to someone first? Bloody hell, Prince." She swallowed, shaking her head to signal that no, she hadn't. She was the slave that was a sport. "I just thought you were one of Malfoys sluts, back then." He looked her up and down. "If you've already got McLaggen's scent all over you, why didn't you tell the Dark Lord?"  
  
"We're friends-"  
  
"You're lying," he stated sharply. "How long have you two been seeing each other-"  
  
"We're friends," she said firmly. He snarled as he stood, glaring at her. She faltered, falling back a few steps.  
  
"You're lying. I can smell it... So I'll ask again. How long?"  
  
She couldn't keep lying, but he couldn't... he would tell the Dark Lord. "Don't hurt him," she said softly. "Please, don't hurt him-"  
  
He snarled yet again, approaching her and seizing her braid, which had mostly fallen out and her hair was loose, hanging in her eyes. "How long?" he demanded.  
  
"A month," she said softly. She licked her lips, an action which drew his attention to her own lips.   
  
"And you haven't told the Dark Lord?"  
  
"He'll hurt him," she said quietly. "That's what he did to your mate, isn't it? He hurts loved ones so that you do what he wants..." His eyes flashed at the mention of his mate, but the grip in her hair loosened. "I didn't think I should have mentioned it... I didn't know it was going to last this long..." She knew, really. She had hoped so. "Please... you can't tell him- he'll kill me for lying," she pleaded.  
  
He snarled, shoving her back as he moved towards his jacket, throwing it on. "I expect you to be screaming out my name next time, then," he spat at her. He... he wasn't going to tell? "When your side heals." Why wasn't he going to tell? Why did he think there would be a next time?  
  
He moved towards the door, but Scarlett spoke before she could really filter, and she regretted it. "You didn't kiss me."  
  
He paused, snorting. "You wanted me to?"  
  
"No, I just... Everyone else... they've always... but you didn't this time, why?"  
  
"The Dark Lord doesn't want my saliva in your system," he spoke simply. "There's always a risk that you have a cut in your gums or your cheek, and my saliva can enter your blood stream-"  
  
"How is that any different from ... what we did?" she questioned.  
  
He looked at her as though she was a toddler, and he was about to educate her, yet again. "My semen, you mean?"  
  
She frowned. "Is that what it's called?" He looked surprised she didn't know that. "I... I didn't know it had a name. I just thought it... it was like fluids."  
  
"Merlin's balls," he grunted. "You don't know anything about sex, do you?"  
  
"I know a few things," she insisted. "Like... if you're not careful, it results in children... it's supposed to be nice, but..." she shook her head as he raised an eyebrow, "-and where things go. There's not much else you need to know, really-"  
  
"What's it called?" he questioned suddenly.   
  
She bit her lip. "Sex."  
  
"No," he said firmly. "What I did back there, that made you feel good, what's that called?"  
  
"I... I don't know," she admitted. "That wasn't... that wasn't sex, though. You didn't-"  
  
"There are more ways to have sex than by just sticking a dick in a vagina," Greyback interrupted, snapping at her. "There's masturbation, where you pleasure yourself.... oral sex - blow jobs or eating a girl out... there's anal sex-" What? But... "Not always good for you, but great for us," he grinned. "What I did was a form of masturbation. I stimulated your nerves, causing you to... be unable to control the sensations you felt."  
  
But... she didn't know any of this. "But... I don't understand-"  
  
"You have this.. sensative bit called a clitoris," he shrugged. "Give it enough attention, you can fall apart in minutes."  
  
Fall... "Fall... apart?" It sounded, well... painful. He didn't mean that literally, right?   
  
"The Dark Lord's waiting, girl," he snapped. "Are you going to just stand there all day, like a ditzy sex slave or are we going to actually get back so we can go our seperate ways. I have things to do, too."  
  
She jumped, nodding quickly and pulling on her socks and shoes, before grabbing her wand from the bed, where he had tossed it at some point. She was glad it hadn't snapped. "You... you promise not to tell?" she questioned, still unsure.  
  
He glowered at her, as if he was a second away from taking his decision back. "It's not my business, nor is it the Dark Lord's, who you care for. I honestly don't care, as long as you actually do what he wants you to do." That was... a surprise. "Are you coming or not?"  
  
She quickly nodded and followed him out the bedroom door, and once more into the dark halls of Malfoy Manor. It had to have been well past midnight. What with the meeting taking so long and then Greyback... She doubted her friends were up.   
  
Cormac was going to furious, if he knew. This counted as cheating, didn't it? Merlin... she didn't want to... she never meant for that... He would be so disgusted, if he knew... But she had to tell him. Not telling him... that would just make it worse. She couldn't lie. Not to him. And...  
  
"You smell of panic," Greyback spoke up on the ground floor, his steps strong in front of her. "Stop it. He can sense it." He? Oh, the Dark Lord. Right. She took a deep breath, calming herself. "Better."  
  
Was he on her side? She almost laughed at the thought. That would be ridiculous.   
  
When they entered the Dining Hall, the Dark Lord seemed pleased to see her. He approached, leaving Severus at the table, and when he stopped in front of Scarlett, his eyes flicked her over before glancing to Greyback. "Your assessment?"  
  
"She learns fast," Greyback stated, an animalistic smirk tugging his lips. He glanced over Scarlett, in a more disgusting way than he had before. "Barely had to teach her much. All of her little visitors took care of that for me."   
  
"Hmm, very good," the Dark Lord intoned. He glanced towards Scarlett. "Did you enjoy that gift?"  
  
Not a bit. She did her best to appear a little disoriented, as if dazed. "Very much, my Lord... I thank you for... opening that world to me." The Dark Lord's fingers gripped her jaw, pulling her head up so that he could look her over properly.  
  
"Well sated," he commented. "You've done well, Greyback. I trust you were not bitten?"  
  
"No, my Lord," Scarlett said quietly, glancing to Greyback. "He knew of the consequences."  
  
"Very good..." He released her and nodded. "You may return to Hogwarts... I think your studies will require your attention for now. Approach McLaggen as you see fit. Do not make the sudden... lessons you were enlightened with suspicious to your usual behavior." Doing this her own way was... that was better. She nodded. And as she uttered a thank you, her father was suddenly at her side. Scarlett's eyes lingered on Greyback for only a moment before she let him take her away.  
  
"Are you hurt?" he demanded as they walked briskly up the path to Hogwart's entrance.   
  
"No," Scarlett admitted, the dazed-bit vanishing as soon as she was out of the Dark Lord's presence. "I'm fine. I just want a really, really hot shower and the most powerful soap there is."  
  
"I'd imagine," he said to himself. She could feel the anger coming off of him. "I'm sorry... there was nothing I could do-"  
  
"It's alright," Scarlett shrugged. "It wasn't that bad. Better than... well, usual, at least. He's always ... been more considerate."  
  
"I find that hard to believe."  
  
"I know," she said quietly. She folded her arms close to her as the wind blew particularly hard, and since it was nearly November, it was always so dreadfully cold now. "I think I'll go to bed, sir, if that's alright? Dumbledore's not expecting us, right?"  
  
Severus glanced at her, not giving her an answer right away, before he nodded. "No. I'll report to Dumbledore. You get some rest. Tomorrow's Sunday and... I'd like to work more on the Boggart." She could do that. "Our session will start at nine." But that was so late. Before she could protest, he was already climbing a different set of stairs than her and she was left alone, with no one but the portraits for company.  
  
"Arcana," she said softly to the Fat Lady, letting her inside and brushed away a few tears at the comfort of it. She was safe, at least. And while Greyback wasn't really a threat, the Dark Lord was.  
  
"You've been gone for a while," a voice spoke up. Harry...   
  
She gave him a small smile, surprised to see Cormac sitting on the couch, waiting with him. Hermione and Ron were nowhere to be seen.   
  
"Hermione's in bed," Harry spoke up. "After Gryffindor won the Quidditch match today... well, Lavender started to attack Ron with the most disgusting PDA I've ever seen... so they're off somewhere-"  
  
"Are you alright?" Cormac questioned, cutting Harry off. He stood as well, frowning as he took in her disheveled appearance. "Did they hurt you?"  
  
"Not... not really," she admitted. He pulled her down onto the couch, looking her over.  
  
"Your shirt's missing a few buttons... they didn't-" he said, seemingly putting it together.  
  
Scarlett closed her eyes, sighing. "Yeah, sort of-"  
  
"Sort of?" Harry demanded. He cast a silencing charm around them, sitting on her other side. "What happened?"  
  
"... Well, the Dark Lord..." Cormac's arm went around her waist, pulling her closer to him, in comfort. He smelt of... of chocolate. And honey. And leather, like Quidditch. And Hogsmeade. She took a deep breath, her eyes still shut as she pressed her head against his shoulder. "The Dark Lord thinks it would be in his best interest if... if I, um... sleep with people for information-"  
  
"What?" Harry cried.  
  
She winced. "So... in order to make sure I'm good enough... he's... having someone give me lessons, I guess, you'd call them... teaching me how to... have sex."  
  
"But that's... that's ridiculous!" Cormac insisted. "Who's teaching you?"  
  
She sniffled, a small laugh leaving her. "It's going to sound so ridiculous..."  
  
"Who?" Harry demanded.  
  
She winced again, chewing on her lip. "Fenrir Greyback?" Harry's eyes widened and he let out a laugh, like he didn't believe her. "Which isn't bad," she continued quickly, pulling out of Cormac's grasp to look at him, so that he could see her eyes. "He's not that bad, actually. The Dark Lord chose him to... to teach me, after he went through my memories of all of my... visitors..." She met Cormac's gaze, his gaze of absolute disbelief. "He chose him because... well, Greyback was actually the kindest of them. He ... he was actually, um... instructed not to hurt me in any way-"  
  
"I consider that hurting you," Cormac said firmly. "You're alright?"  
  
"I've been on the potion since school started," Scarlett said, looking between them. "Just in case, you know? And... so I'm fine, really. No injuries. It was pretty... neutral, I'd guess. Not great, but it wasn't... a horrible experience, either-"  
  
"Bloody hell," Harry murmured. He had been hanging out with Ron too much. "He didn't bite you or anything, right?"  
  
"No," Scarlett admitted. "He didn't even try to ... to risk anything like that... He was given specific instructions..."  
  
"You don't have to see him again, right?" Harry questioned. "I mean... you're done, right?"  
  
"The Dark Lord mentioned no other meetings," Scarlett admitted. Cormac's arms wrapped around her, hugging her tightly, and when he buried his head in her hair, resting his forehead on her shoulder, it was much more comforting to her. She leaned into his touch, her own forehead falling into his shoulder. She bit her lip as she gazed at Harry. He was watching them with a bit of surprise, as well, it seemed. "I won't have to see him, I don't think... The Dark Lord... he didn't seem to find what Greyback said a lie, so-"  
  
"A lie? Why would he have?" Harry asked.  
  
Scarlett bit her lip, pulling away from Cormac as her face heat up. "You know how difficult it is for me to... talk about this, Harry - you're like my brother." Well, he was her brother, but Cormac didn't know that. She seemed frustrated, but Harry didn't press, knowing she would get on with it at her own time. "The main purpose of... this whole ... thing was so that I would know how to have sex, properly... Reaching that point where... apparently I fall apart... which sounds painful, to be honest. So I don't know why I'm looking for that-" Harry and Cormac exchanged a look, Harry slightly green. "Well, that being the point... it didn't happen. I mean, Greyback tried, certainly, but... nothing... weird happened... I just kind of felt numb, so..." She shrugged lightly. "Well, if the Dark Lord knew that... um, I'm pretty sure it would happen again, so... Greyback told him I learned pretty well, which I think was the truth... I remember what he told me at least... anyway, but I didn't get to that moment Greyback promised... but he told the Dark Lord that I did...?" She winced as Harry seemed confused. "I'm not really sure on the terms, I'm sorry... But... that's just sort of what I've gathered ... and that's really the best way I can explain it."  
  
"Fall apart," Harry said flatly. "Merlin, I can't believe I'm trying to give you this... sex talk. And in front of McLaggen..." He huffed, moving so that he was sitting in front of her. "He doesn't mean literally falling apart," Harry said carefully. "It's more... like a way to describe it, I guess... It's called an... well, an orgasm."   
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Well, why didn't he just call it that?"  
  
"Because he probably assumed you knew what it was," Cormac admitted.  
  
"I really don't need to know this... but you've never... felt like that?" Harry asked.  
  
She blinked. "Should I have?"  
  
"Sometimes the body can't control how it reacts, in certain situations, like... er, rape," Cormac explained. "So, if you have then, it's normal. You can't control it. And if Greyback was tame compared... I'd imagine that you didn't feel too great anyway, so... that's entirely normal, too."   
  
Harry still looked green. "Exactly," he insisted. "It's just... the term... So, to clarify, the Dark Lord wanted you to learn how to ... orgasm when you slept with someone?"  
  
"I guess?" Scarlett said, still confused. "I mean... Yes? But... I think he was trying to make me into some... prostitute... so, getting me hooked on the feeling, I suppose?"  
  
"Who was he-" Harry paused, his eyes darting to Cormac's arm around her waist. "What's that?"  
  
Scarlett glanced down, seeing Cormac's hand resting on her waist. "A hand... Harry, surely you know what a hand looks like-"  
  
"I get that," he said slowly. "What's he..." He groaned. "Bloody hell, is there something going on between you two that I don't know about?"   
  
"Uh..." Scarlett glanced at Cormac, biting her lip. And what came from her mouth she swore wasn't appropriate for the situation. "I won."  
  
"Just because Potter knows now doesn't mean Weasley and Granger know-"  
  
"But when we made the bet, you specifically said Harry," she returned, biting her lip. "So-"  
  
"You said three weeks. It's been four," he said a matter of factly.  
  
That was true... "But winter Hogmeade's still weeks away. Mine was closer," she insisted.  
  
"Wait, you've been dating a month and I just found out?" Scarlett cringed, glancing at Harry.  
  
"I was going to say something," she insisted. "I just... I know how you get about Cormac... and... I didn't want us to fight anymore... Honestly though, you're a tad blind. I-"  
  
"We've pretty much snogged in front of you at least four times," Cormac interrupted.  
  
"And we hold hands to and from meals," Scarlett admitted. "Seamus has sort of become the look out for you-"  
  
"Bloody hell, Seamus knew?" Harry demanded, surprised.  
  
"Potter, like everyone in Gryffindor knew," Cormac laughed. "And most Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs-"  
  
"Draco and Blaise knew because Ginny confronted them about it," Scarlett shrugged. "I mean, you had to be blind."  
  
"I just thought you were bloody friends," Harry cried. He groaned, standing. "I don't want to know any details."  
  
"We haven't... shagged," Scarlett said, laughing quietly as Harry paled again. "Honestly, you think I don't know what any of this bloody sex stuff is and I've shagged my boyfriend? Give him a little credit."  
  
"Um... thanks?" Cormac responded, unsure if it was a compliment or not.   
  
"Bloody hell... I might need to ask Fred and George for some firewhiskey," Harry muttered. "I'm not okay with this, but... bloody hell, I guess he makes you happy." Scarlett rolled her eyes. Was he really going to try and stop her from dating? "So... who was it he wants you to sleep with?"  
  
Scarlett swallowed. "Right, um... Cormac, actually. He thinks that... Cormac can give me information from the Ministry. From his father, and... so... he wants me to actually try to date Cormac. He doesn't know either... Greyback swore not to tell-"  
  
"Greyback knew before I did?" Harry whispered.  
  
Scarlett winced as Cormac looked surprised as well. "He could smell Cormac... on me. My hair and clothes... So I couldn't really keep it a secret."  
  
"Why would Greyback swear not to tell?" Cormac asked. "That doesn't make sense."  
  
"I think he... he's fond of me," Scarlett admitted. "It would certainly explain why he doesn't treat me like the rest of his victims... And not in an obsessive way, by any means... he didn't seem particularly obsessive when he smelt Cormac on me. But protective... I suppose."  
  
"Why are all these bad blokes always trying to protect you?" Cormac questioned. "First Malfoy, then you-know-who, now Greyback?"  
  
"I don't know," Scarlett insisted, her voice quiet. "I certainly don't ask for it." She sighed quietly. "So... I have to get into a relationship with Cormac by whenever he asks for information. Which, is the difficult part. I have to sort of fabricate that whole scenario..."  
  
"Why would you.... memories," Harry said quietly. She nodded. "Well... couldn't he just go through the whole thing all over again?" It was an option. She glanced to Cormac.  
  
"I can do that," he shrugged. "Same thing. How soon does this need to happen?"  
  
"Not sure," she admitted. "I'll think of a plan and let you know... because the plan has to stay consistent." She stood suddenly. "I would really like to shower, however. I feel absolutely disgusting and exhausted. It's nearly one in the morning, which means you two should be in bed as well."  
  
"It's Sunday," Cormac shrugged. "I'm allowed to sleep in. Not all of us have ridiculous training schedules or classes like you." That was true. "Besides, don't you have an exam tomorrow?"  
  
She did? Her eyes widened and she groaned. "I forgot... Wonderful. Thank you for reminding me." She sighed, knowing that she would have to get as much sleep as possible in order to study in the morning for her Healer Year Two exams. She didn't want to. She just wanted to sleep in, take a very long relaxing bath... She sighed again, knowing it wasn't going to happen. She leaned down, kissing Cormac lightly on the cheek, before gently squeezing Harry's arm. "Thank you, the both of you, for waiting up for me... I really appreciate it... even if you two don't get along."  
  
Harry shrugged lightly. "You are my sister. I get worried. . .  I wish I could go with you there, but... you know, I can't. Choosen One and all."  
  
Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Not conceited or anything." She glanced at Cormac. "But I do mean it... I don't mean to worry you two."  
  
"You can't help it," Cormac insisted. "Good old snake-face isn't going to give you an easy time, is he? So... this is the best I can do to... make it a bit easier, if that even is the case."  
  
"It is," Scarlett said quietly. She glanced between them, wondering why they weren't heading up to bed as well. "Don't... kill each other?"  
  
"Don't even have my wand," Harry promised.  
  
She relaxed slightly. It was a good enough promise. "Alright... goodnight," she said softly before she turned, her fingers tugging at the knots in her hair as she began to climb the stairs. She needed to just scrub everything. She felt like she had laid in the forest and let nature grow on her.


	40. Tortoise Shell

"Your progress, Scarlett?" the Dark Lord questioned. Her progress. Meaning, has she slept with Cormac yet.   
  
"I'm working on it, my Lord. I do not want him suspicious if I'm suddenly much more forward than usual," Scarlett said calmly. "And he was interested in a few other Gryffindors these last few weeks." Her gaze calmly met his and she knew when he entered her mind, seeing Cormac flirting with a few girls - memories she had been given by Ginny upon request so that she could make the memories herself. "But, I'm trying to secure him for a Hogsmeade date next week. I believe he's noticed my advances-" she gently nudged the memory of her harmlessly flirting with him, mentioning Hogsmeade weekend to the forefront of her mind. "I figured, my Lord, that having him give up information in the long term, rather than short term - as that would be the case if I were to sleep with him right away - would be more beneficial. Is there certain information you're looking for?"  
  
"His father works very closely with the Minister. I want specific details on projects the Minister is working on funding," Voldemort said, breaking eye contact and leaving her head. She relaxed slightly. "But you are, once again, correct. Having the McLaggen boy give you information in the long run... it would be much more beneficial and tell me any trends in his spending - or any areas he's holding back on - his strengths, as he would be funding his weaknesses more to keep them strong." That was his logic? "You will be able to have him secure by Christmas?"  
  
"Undoubtedly, my Lord," Scarlett nodded immediately. "He is already interested. I just need to give him the right suggestions."  
  
"Do not become emotionally attached," the Dark Lord warned. "If you do so, I fear you may withold information from me."  
  
She looked almost offended. "My Lord, I would never do such a thing. I only wish for your success in this war."  
  
"Which reminds me... We have a lead on Tyler." She tried to look interested, but her heart seized. Did he know? "In Surrey. We believe he's located somewhere near Potter's family. I have men scouting. How is your progress on the potion, Severus?"  
  
"It will be complete by the beginning of January, my Lord," Severus said stiffly. "Once the results are made, I will bring the information directly to you. And then we may begin to discuss arrangements."  
  
"Ah, yes, arrangements. There are only a few options... Here, of course, being the most obvious... with the Zabini mother... what is her name? Priscilla, yes?" Scarlett swallowed, nodding. Priscilla wasn't a kind woman, she was told. And not to mention she was a serial killer. "Or, I will allow him to be placed in Order care... After all, Scarlett, I want you to be able to see him reguarly."  
  
"Thank you, my Lord... this means the world to me," Scarlett said sincerely. "If the lead in Surrey proves to be... correct... Will I be able to go with, to see him? Or will I have to wait until the next meeting?"  
  
"I do not want to call you out onto a mission only for it to result in failure. I'd hate for you to lose hope like that," the Dark Lord commented, as though he was protecting her. But she knew it was far from it. "I will call you once he is secure... that way we may proceed."  
  
"Thank you, my Lord... You are most kind."  
  
He hummed, pleased.   
  
The entire meeting she felt Greyback's eyes on her, as if waiting for her to ... she didn't know what. Attack her? Jump her? But the Dark Lord didn't seem to think she needed more training in the bedroom department, as they were all dismissed and Severus pulled her quickly to the hall.   
  
However, a hand grabbed her own, halting the pair. It was Greyback, and his eyes were burning as they stared at her. "I need to talk to you."  
  
She cleared her throat, unsure what was going on. She wasn't going to ... sleep with him. Bloody hell, she'd rather vomit on the floor than do that. But she doubted if she vomited, he'd be repulsed by it. "You can say it in front of my father," she said simply.  
  
He snarled, but agreed. "Don't think I forgot what we agreed upon last time." He inhaled as her fear spiked. It made his eyes turn a bright amber. "I'm still looking forward to it."  
  
She knew he was. "Understood," Scarlett said carefully, watching as Greyback leaned back on his heels and released her arm. She turned, joining Severus and they apparated away.  
  
"What did he mean?" Severus questioned when they were in the warmth of the castle. But they didn't head towards the Defense classroom, nor Gryffindor tower... They were going to the Headmaster's office.   
  
"It's nothing," Scarlett promised. "He just wants to get me riled up. And he knew it would bother you."   
  
Severus didn't quite believe her, but he didn't press the issue either. The next two minutes were a tense silence as they climbed to the Headmaster's office, her arms hugging her body to keep the chill away from her. It was always cooler in the higher locations of the castle.  
  
But Dumbledore's office was warm. And small, so that the heat from the fireplace traveled quickly throughtout. As she sat down, across from Dumbledore, he offered her a bowl of candy. "No, thank you," Scarlett admitted. She had no idea how long the candy had been sitting there, really. And she didn't much like hard candy. Chocolate on the other hand...  
  
"They're making a move in Surrey, believing the false lead on Tyler," Severus spoke up. "I suspect, perhaps, four or five days head start to move the Muggles before the Dark Lord takes notice."  
  
It had been the plan, to mislead the Dark Lord with Draco changing the bank records for the million pounds to resemble a city in Surrey, instead of Wiltshire. And then when Lucius delved into bank records, a small memory still hidden showing that he had a faint sliver of where Tyler was, he would find the location and know immediately Tyler wasn't in Surrey, but Lucius wanted to protect Tyler enough to put him out of harms way.   
  
"I will contact Molly and Hestia. They'll begin the move right away."   
  
"How are they?" Scarlett questioned. "I'd imagine a bit shocked...?"   
  
"Since their move into the Burrow last month," Dumbledore said carefully, "they've adjusted quite well. Molly assures me that there were a few moments of culture shock, I believe it's called, but... they're in complete understanding of the true situation, and Molly has assured them that you are safe. Believe it or not, that was their biggest concern."  
  
"They're good people," Scarlett admitted. "I hate that they're caught up in this war now."  
  
"The safe house is hand selected by Molly," Dumbledore assured her. "They will be perfectly safe. Molly would never tell a soul about Tyler." It wasn't that she was worried about. She trusted Mrs. Weasley inexplicably. It was the wards that concerned her. She spent days researching secret keepers and the wards that it involved, learning that they were easily disabled... Easily broken. It was how Voldemort had gotten into James and Lily's home. Even if the secret was told, there was still the matter of the wards.  
  
"Sir?" She hesitated. "I was wondering... if, should the war permit, I'd be able to visit them... over the break. For Christmas?"  
  
"Oh, of course!" Dumbledore exclaimed, surprised. "I have already discussed arrangements with Molly on the matter." Oh... That surprised her. "You are expected to arrive on the twenty third. The offer extends to Mr. Zabini as well. Though, I would advise he remain at Hogwarts for break, to keep suspicion off of him. I regret you cannot remain there longer, as there is numerous risks being taken just by having you there for the day-"  
  
"No, a day is more than enough," Scarlett insisted quickly. "I didn't mean to sound like... It would be perfect, sir. Truly-"  
  
"Good," Dumbledore said brightly. "I will pass the message onto Molly. I think you'll find Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger on patrols this evening, so you don't need to be too stealthy. They will no doubt let your rule breaking slide."  
  
Scarlett laughed quietly. "Thank you, sir... I appreciate it greatly."  
  
"As I've guessed," Dumbledore said, waving for her to good. "Goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight, sir... Severus." Severus simply nodded to her and she ducked out of the office doors, moving down the stairs quickly, not bothing to stay to see what they would be discussing without her. If she wasn't meant to know, then she wasn't meant to know.  
  
Cormac, surprisingly, was on the seventh floor, in the corridor, and when she opened her mouth to greet him, he shushed her, pulling her into the aclove, in the shadows as a pair of footsteps sounded. "Want to see if they'll catch us?" Cormac questioned.  
  
She giggled quietly, but was up for the challenge. He had already won the bet. With Hogsmeade just next week... well, it was pointless now. She wouldn't win anyway. There were more weeks closer to his selected date than hers. As in one. The footsteps drew closer and Cormac was suddenly kissing her, pressing her back into the stone wall of the castle, the corner of the stone and the window pain digging into ther back, but she found she didn't mind.  
  
His hands were gripping her hips tightly, pulling her body flush against his and she felt much warmer - warmer than sitting in front of the Gryffindor fireplace would have made her. Warmer than a hot shower.   
  
The footsteps passed them, with the furious whispers of an argument.  
  
"Honestly, Ronald, I don't care about Lavender. If you can stop talking about her for fifteen bloody minutes my migrane might actually go away-"  
  
Cormac chuckled against her lips, murmuring, "They're so dense." Scarlett found that she had to agree.   
  
"I think Harry might win the bet," she murmured back, knowing that her brother had claimed they wouldn't know until Slughorn's Christmas party. And even though Ron and Hermione had passed, Cormac's mouth never left her. "You've been eating from my chocolate stash, haven't you?"  
  
"Blame Ginny," he muttered, chuckling. But his lips were attacking her own hungrily, with a fire that was nearly absent otherwise. Scarlett found that she didn't mind, either. His grip on her hips suddenly moved so that he was lifting her, having her sit on the windowsill, his body pressed between her legs. And he deepened the kiss, pulling her infinitely closer, and his mouth was making her head spin. Merlin, he had a talented tongue.  
  
"We need to stop-" Cormac murmured, his lips moving so that they trailed long her jawline, closer to her ear. "Before your dad-" His mouth moved to the crook of her neck, where he suddenly sucked on her skin, causing her to moan. The sound leaving her made her flush brightly, once she realized what she had done, but Cormac didn't seem to mind it. In fact, he seemed to like it. "Finds us."   
  
Merlin, she could only imagine Severus finding them like this. It was not something she wanted to have happen - not for a hundred years. But before she could move, his mouth was once more at the crook of her neck, nibbling on the skin he had been sucking on. She felt the tingling sensation once more, in her abdomen. It was as though Greyback was ... playing with her, once more. She still didn't know what that sensation ended in, but she kept wanting to find out the more Cormac and her would end up like this.  
  
Her legs clenched around his hips, pulling him closer to her. And suddenly the nibbling stopped. "I worry about you, every time you go..."  
  
"Oh..." She didn't know what to say. "I'm fine, you know that. He can't hurt me, much. I'm ... valuable."  
  
"When do we need to fake that memory?"  
  
She swallowed. "After Hogsmeade. We have that much time, at least. Then we can get the memory and we don't have to worry about it anymore," Scarlett said softly, her forehead pressed against his shoulder.   
  
"I don't know if I can... I don't want to go further, for a little while," Cormac murmured suddenly. "I... I just-"  
  
"That's totally okay," Scarlett interrupted. "I know how to fabricate memories-"  
  
"No... I... I used to have a habit of sleeping with my girlfriends and then... just casting them aside because I would get bored," Cormac said quietly, into her hair, into her skin. She closed her eyes, not because of what he said, but because of the feel of his breath on her skin. "I don't want that to happen with you... I care about you too much... And I'm afraid that... that I'd revert to that, and I don't want to."  
  
"The fact that you're worried about it proves that it won't be a problem," Scarlett said quietly.   
  
"I just want to wait awhile, is all," Cormac promised her. "I want it to be... special, and not because you-know-who wants us to, you know? I want to make it special for you." But they had never mentioned this before... he had never mentioned it before and Scarlett couldn't help but feel a small twinge of insecurity. Did he... not want to because of her?  
  
"Of course it'll be special," she whispered, but knew that ... she wasn't quite sure sleeping with him now was good, either. She wasn't... well, ready for that. "It is with you, afterall." He snorted. "But we really should head to the Common Room. It's cold out here and I don't want to get detention."  
  
Cormac agreed, and as he lifted her down, kissed her lightly. "Take my jacket," he insisted, pulling off the jean jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders. It was warm, from his body heat and she hugged it to her, relishing the warmth of it.   
  
"Thank you," she said quietly. "What were you doing out here? Waiting for me?"  
  
"Like I said, I get worried when you're called away," Cormac told her, shrugging. His body was closer to her as they walked down the stairs, to the Common Room. "It's been a while since the time you were called, so... I decided to wait, just in case you were hurt again."  
  
"That's very sweet of you," Scarlett admitted softly. "Thank you. I appreciate the company. Walking back to the Common Room alone is... not always pleasant. Quite lonely, in fact, but I suppose that's the definition of alone." He chuckled. "Do you know what time it is?"  
  
"Just after ten."  
  
Not too late then. She could head up to bed and be up at her normal four in the morning to get started on reverse brewing a potion for Slughorn.   
  
"You know how you started up your trainings again?" She nodded, waiting for the stairs to return to them so they could make the crossing. "Do you want someone to train with you? I mean, not all the time, but in the mornings? I'd be interested. I'm not very good at sparring, but I can at least block what you throw at me."  
  
"I leave the Common Room at three or four in the morning," she said slowly. "That's early, even for you-"  
  
"Oh, er, I was thinking more six or seven."  
  
"Oh, then, yes, absolutely. If you want to. You certainly don't have to. But I'm a bit out of shape because of the few weeks I couldn't spar with my side. I'm much better now, though, and I'm getting a bit better. I'm trying new techniques I've been reading about... But if you don't want to do that, I'd be more than happy to just-"  
  
"I'll be there," Cormac interrupted, giving her a small smile.   
  
They parted ways in the Common Room with a quick kiss goodnight and then she was tucked under her covers, Leo trying to attack her feet through the blankets as she wiggled her toes, making the cat even more excited.  
  
That morning, she finished the very last ingredient to the reverse brewing of her Felix Felicis. It had been difficult, and a dangerous potion to reverse brew, but she bottled the contents of her cauldron, set the instrument on the cooling surface, before pulling off her unform so that she was in her tank top and shorts, and closed her eyes, willing the room to change to the sparring room.  
  
She charmed the dummy and began, putting more emphasis on her legs and strength exercises, than her arms. Strength was a problem for her. She was probably a hundred pounds? Sopping wet. And while tiny, needed more muscle. At least some. Not enough to make her buff, but enough to make her tone. And being in the very low end of five feet tall, she didn't have much to her advantage.  
  
When Cormac arrived, she had stumbled out of the circle - something she needed to stop causing less frequently since her training haitus. "So... what do I need to do?" Cormac asked, rubbing his hands together.  
  
She eyed his uniform, biting her lip. "Well, you need to change into something that you can get a little rough in." She reached for her wand, flicking it at his uniform. It transformed into a t-shirt and loose shorts, althetic wear, as well. "Better. And ... try to hit me as much as I hit with you. I can heal the bruises, don't worry."   
  
Cormac still hesitated and though he blocked her rather effectively, still didn't hit her back. She ended that near seven thirty and gestured for him to stand closer. "I want to try something. I'm not very good at it, but you're smaller than my father... so maybe I can get the hang of it." She turned her back to him, taking his arm and pressing it against her neck. The other she pressed to her midsection, so that their bodies were flush. "Okay, I need to try to flip you over. Keep your pressure on this arm," she firmly jerked the arm around her neck. "And the other one move when I step on your foot."  
  
"Uh, alright."  
  
She stepped and the arm moved and then she used both of her hands to grab the arm around her throat, pulling as she leaned forward. It didn't work. She groaned in frustration. "Again."  
  
For a solid ten minutes, she tried to actually flip him and it wasn't working.   
  
"Can you try it with me being the one attacking?" Scarlett questioned him suddenly. "Flip me over?"  
  
Cormac hesitated. "I don't know what I'm doing-"  
  
"Just exactly what I've been doing. It should actually be a lot easier. I don't weight that much," Scarlett insisted. "I just need to see what I'm doing wrong. Severus isn't young enough to do this..." He cleared his throat, but agreed and they switched positions, the room conjuring a foot tall box for her to stand on so that she could grip his throat tightly, and the other arm was held at her side, as he couldn't exactly step on her foot, or kick her shins.   
  
"Right, ready?" he asked.  
  
She nodded, tightening her grip only slightly, not enough to hurt him. And then she was flying, landing in front of him, her balance teetering as she tried to straighten up, but the position was too weird and she ended up on the ground at his feet. She groaned and knew she had probably bruised her tailbone.  
  
"Sorry," he gasped, quickly helping her up. "You alright?"  
  
"Fine," she promised. She dusted herself off before turning to face him. "Now, do it like I'm still there."   
  
He bent his knees. He used his knees for leverage. Of course! For months Scarlett had been working on this in her spare time and never seemed to get it... but this... this was what she didn't understand. The leverage.   
  
And not the kind that required hurting loved ones. She jerked at his arm, trying to pull him over her, but it didn't work and they both stumbled, laughing, until he tripped on the wooden box and they ended up sprawled on the floor, their limbs tangled, her atop of his chest, still giggling.  
  
"Sorry," she giggled out, her forehead pressed against his chest. "I'm so awful at the strength bit. I'm not exactly built to take out a two hundred pound male."  
  
"One eighty," Cormac corrected. She lifted her gaze, biting her lip as she stared at him. He was watching her, from his position on the ground. And then she leaned forward, just as he did, and kissed him. It started innocently enough. A soft kiss, her hands pressed against his shoulders to keep her balance upright. But suddenly, she was laying on the ground, Cormac hovering over her and the kiss deepening. She felt... a spark of life, it seemed, as he asked for entrance, which she, of course, granted.  
  
His hands spread across her bare skin as they darted under her tank top, causing her stomach to flip. And as his hands began to move closer to her back, she pulled away. "You're distracting me from my training," she pouted lightly. Cormac's hands moved once more to her stomach, a chuckle leaving him as he pecked at the pout.  
  
"Sorry." But he didn't seem too sorry as he kissed her more firmly, pressing his body closer to her, making her feel the sweaty moisture of his shirt, and she heard the ruffling of the fabric as her hands went across it, to feel along his rib cage, where his heart was pounding, and she pulled him even closer to her, her head slightly dizzy from her lack of oxygen.  
  
She wasn't sure how long she was like that, but Cormac suddenly tensed and pulled away, clearing his throat as he tried to control his breathing. "Sorry, I got a bit carried away." She certainly hadn't minded. She rolled her eyes, kissing him gently, before she shoved his shoulder and stood up, pulling down her tank top before he saw her mark. But she didn't think she was fast enough, because Cormac's eyes lingered on the spot it was located.   
  
"We should head to breakfast," Scarlett admitted, reaching for her clothing. She flicked her wand so that his athletic wear appeared to be once more his robes. As she pulled on her uniform, she fixed her hair so that it wasn't a mess, and gave him a small smile. "I don't know about you, but I really feel like a chocolate muffin."  
  
"Do they even have chocolate muffins?" Cormac questioned, surprised, but holding the door open for her to leave.   
  
Scarlett grinned. "Of course. You have to ask for them specifically from the elves. Luna told me a few weeks ago. She always orders vanilla cupcakes instead of muffins."  
  
"Merlin, I ought to try that one time," Cormac murmured. "Cake for breakfast?"  
  
"That's so unhealthy, Cormac," Scarlett laughed quietly. "I mean, chocolate muffins aren't healthy, either, but you could at least do something other than a cupcake."  
  
"Lovegood can," Cormac insisted.  
  
"But Luna is eccentric, so it's okay," Scarlett giggled, elbowing him. He just grumbled, obviously not finding that fair.  
  
She bit her lip as she sat in front of Blaise that evening, and he noticed at her mind was running miles in her head.   
  
"Is there something wrong?"  
  
"Cormac doesn't want to sleep with me." It was a blunt statement that had him choking on his tongue. "I mean... I just mean to say that... well, I think he wants to, but... he's stopping himself."  
  
"How do you know?" Blaise asked, almost cautiously. As if he didn't want to know.  
  
"I'm always rather honest, I suppose, with you," Scarlett said cautiously. "We were in an aclove, in the hall, on the seventh floor. Snogging. That's all. And... well, it got a bit more heated. But he stopped it... And again in the Room of Requirement this morning, while I was training..."  
  
"Do you want to sleep with him?" Blaise asked, his tone light, but she knew there was a slight concern in his tone as well.  
  
She hesitated. "Well... I think so. I mean, yes, sometimes. I just... every other time has been bad-" she bit her lip, realizing what she said. "I mean, no offense to you, of course, but... it was never by choice and... with Cormac there's a choice and..." He seemed to understand. "I want to take that choice, but I'm not sure I'm ready at the same time. I mean... I think I am, but I won't know until I go for it, you know? I mean, I think... and ..." She sighed, burying her face in her hands. "Does he not find me attractive?"  
  
"Of course, he finds you bloody gorgeous," Blaise insisted. "Did he say something, when he stopped?"  
  
She sighed into her hands, not looking up. "He doesn't want to... to turn into who he was before. Which... I don't understand. He's always been pretty nice to me. But Ginny let me use some of her memories for something - a project, and... well I saw a sort of... different Cormac. He was very arrogant, like Draco, and he liked to... to play around with girls... So, I suppose that's what he means..."  
  
"Well at least he realizes what he has." Scarlett glanced up, confused. "Bloody hell... Alright, a bloke's mind's pretty simple, Scar," Blaise said simply. Scar? "There's only two things we think about - sex and food." She raised an eyebrow. "And sometimes both at the same time, but that's not the point." She giggled slightly, amused. "Whenever you two snog, believe me, he's thinking about sex. Maybe not all the time, but when it starts to get more heated? Definitely." Oh. That made sense. "You, Scarlett, are a gold mine. Any bloke would be lucky to have you. You're kind, gorgeous, smart, dead sexy and ... you do things, innocent things, that drive a bloke wild. You don't even realize it, which makes it all the better. And Cormac knows that if he did anything to make you upset, or make you run away from him, it would be a catastrophe."  
  
"Why would it be a catastrophe?" Scarlett questioned. "I don't understand. People break up all the time-"  
  
"Yeah, but to something to fuck up with the girl that is absolutely perfect?" Blaise asked rhetorically. "You don't it. And McLaggen doesn't want to scare you off. In fact, he doesn't even want to try to lose you, because he knows just how perfect you are, that any bloke in this entire school could have you if they wanted you." She bit her lip, understanding. He didn't want to lose her. "Not to mention you two are probably the most unlikely but equally as suited couple in the whole school. No one has seen him act that way towards a bird, like he has for you. I mean... he's doing worlds for your confidence that I can't even do, and that's my job. You hold his hands in the halls without blushing, you sneak little kisses in - even though Potter and Weasley are right next to you - and your bloody father's staring down at you." Oh... she supposed that was true. "It's not that he doesn't want to sleep with you.... he doesn't want a bite of the forbidden fruit too early. And he probably wants you to be ready, too. I mean, he knows all about the visitors you'd get... he doesn't want to try to scare you, either, with the thought of sex."  
  
"But it doesn't scare me," Scarlett admitted. "I just... I want it to be nice, but... I'm not as experienced as his other girlfriends... I mean, I sort of know how to make him happy, but-"  
  
"Scarlett," he interrupted with a sigh. "He doesn't care about that." His voice was gentle and he held her gaze as if to prove his sincerity. "He just wants to make you happy."  
  
"You don't know what," Scarlett insisted. "I'm just worried that... what if we do sleep together and..." She bit her lip. "... and I'm awful and... and he hates me for it. And we break up because of it. That's my only worry. I know he won't... turn into that player... If he's worried about it, he won't. And..." She buried her face in her hands again, to hide the tears in her eyes. "I don't want him to break up with me."  
  
"Have you told him this?" Blaise asked, his hand touching her elbow, in comfort. She shook her head, her hair falling out of the braid and touching the table, her arms, fanning around her shoulders as she leaned forward.   
  
"I can't... He'll just think it's silly... But I don't want to disappoint him."  
  
"It's all in instinct. . . You mentioned Greyback a while ago... a few weeks ago, I think... I can't believe I'm going to say this... Try it on your own... in your dorm with your curtains shut... Clear out your mind and close your eyes and let your instincts guide you." She took a quiet breath, her face still buried in her hands. "And... if you're still worried... talk to him. He really cares about you Scarlett, and if it bothers you that much... it'll be something he'll talk to you about. I guarantee that being worried he might dump you is probably only a small part," Blaise insisted quietly. "He's worried about rushing you."  
  
She chewed on her lip, knowing that what he said had to be somewhat true. "But what if... when I ask him... he finds it silly?"  
  
"If he laughs at you because you're feeling insecure about something then you shouldn't be dating him," Blaise said firmly. "And he'd be a right idiot to even think about laughing."   
  
"Thank you, Blaise... you've really helped."  
  
"You're welcome," he sighed. "Now, can we all stop talking about depressing topics? I don't like it when girls start crying around me. Makes me uncomfortable, you know." She laughed lightly.   
  
"Who are you taking to the Slug Club party this Sunday?"  
  
"I'm not sure," he admitted. "You're going with McLaggen, aren't you?"  
  
She nodded. "He hasn't formally asked me, but ... we've mentioned going together... You know who you should ask?" she questioned suddenly, straightening and staring at him. He quirked an eyebrow. "Luna Lovegood."  
  
"Loony?" he asked flatly. "You're joking."  
  
"No, I mean it," she insisted. "I think it would be lovely. She's so kind and ... really more perceptive than she lets people believe, you know." Scarlett watched as Blaise's face wrinkled at the idea. "At least give it some time to ... work in your mind. I really think you two would have fun. And you'd be great together... not in a relationship or anything, but... it could lead to that."  
  
"I'll think about it," Blaise said finally.   
  
"Oh, before I forget... Dumbledore thinks you should stay here over Christmas break..."  
  
"Dumbledore?" he questioned, confused. "Why does Dumbledore-"  
  
"Draco's staying," Scarlett interrupted quickly. "And... on the twenty-third..." She chewed her lip again. "Well... let's just say that the two of us are going to take a trip together to see a small boy."  
  
His eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"  
  
She nodded. "If everything goes to plan, yes. But it would be easier if you were to stay here... that way no one gets suspicious as to why you were gone all day." He nodded, as if he was solidifying his break plans. "I won't be staying, though. I'm going to the Burrow... Ron's just told me I've been invited to stay, so... I'd like to have Christmas with the Weasleys... I haven't had a Christmas in... thirteen years... Not since I was five and I barely remember it."  
  
"You should definitely go," Blaise insisted. "I have Drake, I'll be fine."  
  
"Alright..." She bit her lip. "I don't know what to get him... Tyler. For Christmas. I mean... when I saw him last, he was very into these things called Legos. I'm not really sure what they are."  
  
"Well, how are we getting there?"  
  
"Well... that's a tricky part," Scarlett admitted. "We're actually going to go the Muggle way. That way we don't leave any magical signatures... I also intend to strengthen their wards a bit. Secret Keeper wards aren't always foolproof."  
  
"So if we're heading into the Muggle world, we can pick up what he likes... We can just leave a tad earlier so we don't get there late." She bit her lip, but nodded. That sounded alright.  
  
Scarlett picked up her bag, setting it on the table and frowned at the roll of parchment. She groaned, sighing. "Shoot. I forgot to turn in my Healing project before I left. I have to go before curfew... I'll see you later?"  
  
Blaise simply nodded, not bothered in the slightest. She picked up her bag and hurried out. Not even three minutes after she was gone, he tensed up when a shadow loomed over the table. "You're back quick. The Hospital Wings on the other end of the-"  
  
"It's McLaggen," the figure interrupted. Blaise straightened, his Arithmancy notes forgotten as he scrutinized the boy Scarlett had just been worried over. "Have a minute?"  
  
"Obviously," Blaise said, gesturing to the table. "What is it?"  
  
Cormac hesitated and Blaise took the time to notice that he had shed his sweater, and he saw it bundled in the leather bag hanging from his shoulders. He was warm? The castle was freezing this time of year. And his hair was slightly mussed, as if he had been pulling at it. Blaise didn't remember ever seeing it anything but neatly combed. "I, uh... I'm not quite sure what to get Scarlett for Christmas. I figure you've known her longer..."  
  
"You want me to help you buy a present for your girlfriend," Blaise said flatly. "Why don't you ask Weaslette?"  
  
"Couldn't find her," Cormac shrugged, still standing at the edge of the table. "I just need some ideas. I've been thinking about it for the last three weeks and I have no clue-"  
  
"Why don't you sit down?" Blaise interrupted, sharply. "You're blocking my light and I like to be well-lit."  
  
Cormac cleared his throat before nodding and sitting. "I've been thinking jewelry, you know? But she doesn't wear it... and I don't think she'd like that. And there's books, but what kind of lame boyfriend would I be if I just gave her books? Besides, she reads all the time and she memorizes them, so it'd be kind of pointless... And there's-"  
  
Blaise blinked. "Did you ever think that she doesn't wear jewelry because she doesn't have any?"   
  
Cormac clamped his jaw shut. "Oh." He seemed deep in thought. "You think that's what I should get her?"  
  
"How about this?" Blaise said, his tone harsh. "Why don't you tell me why Scarlett thinks you find her unattractive?"  
  
"What?" Cormac hissed. Madame Pince shushed them harshly. "That's ridiculous. She's beautiful, I tell her that all the time." Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Why? Did she tell you different?"  
  
"She told me that you didn't want to sleep with her," Blaise shrugged, leaning back in his chair as Cormac sputtered. "And that she's worried she'll disappoint you, if you do sleep together, and ... that you'll dump her for it. And she's worried that you'll hate her."  
  
Cormac paled. "She is?" Blaise watched as the man seemed to start panicking. "But... but I couldn't-" He cleared his throat as his voice raised high enough to make Madame Pince glare at them. "But that's not true! I would never- Why would she think that? I just.. I didn't want to rush her. I mean, she didn't come from a great place and-"  
  
"Which is precisely what I told her," Blaise said simply. "But I think you need to tell her this because she didn't seem to believe me." Cormac nodded immediately, nearly tripping over himself as he tried to stand. "Oh, and McLaggen?" Cormac glanced at him. "Get her a necklace or something. I saw her admiring Weaslette's a few days ago."  
  
"Er, thanks, Zabini..." Cormac cleared his throat. "She really... she really thinks that ... why would she think that I find her unattractive?"  
  
Zabini snorted. "She's been treated like a servant for twelve years. And anyone she's ever come across have called her worthless or filth in that timespan. She didn't have any other name but that... what do you think we do every Monday and Wednesday night? Talk about butterflies? Someone's got to make her get over that mentality. It doesn't take much for her to second guess herself when it comes to the things she's unsure with - relationships being just that." Cormac seemed upset with that information. "So once she heads back to the Common Room from the Hospital Wing, pull her aside and ask her why she's been distant. Don't bloody drag me into this."  
  
Cormac swallowed, nodding. "Right, right... Uh, thanks, Zabini."  
  
"You owe me massive for this."  
  
"Yeah, I figured I would," Cormac muttered, his mind whirling as he quickly left the library.   
  
**  
  
Scarlett spent until curfew in the Room of Requirement once she finished giving Madame Pomfrey her assignment, apologizing profusely for forgetting - to which the woman just waved her apologies away, not worried. When she entered the Common Room, she was surprised when Cormac took her arm, pulling her to the secluded aclove she always studied in.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you," Cormac said under his breath, so no one would overhear.  
  
Was it important? She was worried as he seemed nervous. "What's wrong?" she asked. "You look a bit peekish. I think I have some Pepper-Up in my trunk-"  
  
He waited until she was settled before he took a deep breath. "You know I think you're the sexiest thing in the world, right?"  
  
She flushed. "Cormac, what's bringing this on?"  
  
"And the only... well, okay, there are two reasons as to why I don't want to have sex right now..." Scarlett paled. She was going to murder Blaise. "I just... don't want to rush you, firstly. I want to make sure you're ready, you know? And ... I am kind of worried about that whole spiel I gave you. I don't want to be a dick to you on accident and blow everything up..."   
  
"Blaise talked to you," Scarlett said quietly. She sighed, her face dropping to be buried in her hands. "I'll kill him."  
  
"Uh... well, he made me promise not to mention his name. I was actually looking to find you, when I ran into him-" He clamped his jaw shut. "He was a bit worked up... I never meant it in that I wasn't attracted... bloody hell, you have seen yourself, right? You're gorgeous. And you're so smart and funny and ... you get so excited about learning everything - like chess, or your classes and-" He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for giving you that impression.... I never thought that... and I don't want you to think that either."  
  
"Cormac..."  
  
"No, I'm serious. I never ... You don't know what you do to me. How many cold showers I have to take because of you, or how many times I've had to imagine bloody McGonagall naked -"   
  
"What?" she asked, confused. "Why would you have to do that?"  
  
He flushed, as if embarrassed. "Like I said, you're ... something else. And sometimes when we snog for a long time or... we're close... uh... I get excited."  
  
"Excited?" Scarlett murmured.  
  
He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah... So, believe me, if I wasn't attracted to you, there would be other problems."  
  
She swallowed. "What else did Blaise tell you?"  
  
"You could never disappoint me, you know that, right? I mean, you could literally do nothing to disappoint me. You're a lion in everything you do and you don't do anything halfway so ... All I care about is making you happy." He gave her a quirk of his lips in a small smile. "Okay?"  
  
"Okay," she said softly. "I... I'm sorry. I should have... talked to you before I talked to Blaise, I just... was a bit unsure... and Blaise is rather blunt and I knew he would tell me the truth... or I hoped so, at least..." He shrugged, not bothered by her decision to seek out Blaise. "Next time I'll talk to you first."   
  
"And I'll try to explain exactly what I mean so we don't have any miscommunications again," Cormac promised. She smiled softly, pressing her shoulder against his own. "It's a bit cold in this aclove, isn't it?"  
  
"That's why I've been sitting in the little couch beside the fire whenever you're gone," Scarlett admitted quietly, glancing towards the couch in question. "But this place does give us a bit more privacy..."  
  
"True," Cormac murmured, before turning his head and kissing the top of her forehead, right at her hairline. "You smell like chocolate."  
  
"I found some Chocolate Milk Duds in my bag when I was writing my Charms essay," Scarlett admitted. "I got a bit hungry."  
  
He chuckled. "Why should I be surprised?"  
  
"You really shouldn't. I think I've become a bit obsessed with those things," Scarlett admitted with a faint flush. "It's not even good for me."  
  
**  
  
"How do you want me to ask you to Hogsmeade?" Scarlett questioned, looking out from the Astonomy tower rails. Cormac leaned against them beside her, his eyes darting to the sky as the stars twinkled. It was freezing cold, but they were close enough together that she didn't feel much of it, just the bitter wind against her face.   
  
"That's why you're asking me," Cormac shrugged. "I'm not exactly an expert. The only person I've asked to Hogsmeade was you, and after that it was Julian and Marius - to go as friends."   
  
"But I've never asked anyone to Hogsmeade before-"  
  
"All I did was ramble and sort of stutter it out," Cormac shrugged. "If you can do better than that, I'll say yes."  
  
"You would say no?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow in surprise.  
  
He grinned, leaning over and kissing her lightly. "Would I?" Now she wasn't so sure. But she had a bit of an idea. "Make it big, whatever you do. Can you imagine Snape's face if you pulled a Weasley twin style Hogsmeade proposal?"  
  
"I don't want the Dark Lord to know I asked you," she said carefully. "That's very out of character for me... However... I might have a plan that can be interpreted differently. You'll have to do the background stuff later, but..." He clearly wanted to know what she was going to do. "It's a surprise. You better be at breakfast tomorrow morning. Eight sharp."  
  
"But it's Friday," he whined, pouting. "And I don't have a first period."  
  
"Then I guess you're going to Hogsmeade alone," Scarlett shrugged. "Pity."  
  
He sighed. "Fine... But since we're on the topic of invites... Slughorn's having that ridiculous Christmas party... Will you go with me?"  
  
"Of course," Scarlett said immediately. "You know, Hermione was about to ask you. She's fairly certain taking you to the party will piss Ron off, and what better to make him mad than you?"  
  
"Well, she better not," Cormac snorted. "I don't know what would give her the idea I'd go with her."  
  
"Me neither," Scarlett admitted quietly. She played with the ends of her braid, the wind howling, causing her to shift closer to him. "I'm going to suggest she ask Neville. I think they would be a good couple, since Ron's head is up his arse. Don't you think so?"  
  
"Longbottom?" He seemed consider it, shrugging. "Yeah. I see him more with Weaslette though. I heard he was asking her."  
  
"I wonder who Harry's taking... Do you think Harry and Hermione could take each other?"  
  
"I don't see why not," Cormac agreed. "Romantic? Possibly something that could happen-"  
  
"No, not romantically, just them going as friends," Scarlett corrected. It would be interesting, at least. Hermione wasn't fond of him, since the Potions textbook. But Scarlett had taken care of that, and Harry hadn't mentioned anything yet. She had charmed it to resemble the original text - minus the dark spells.  
  
"There's, uh... there's a ball, at the Ministry. My dad's invited, and he's taking my mum... and I'm going, he says I'm allowed to bring someone. Do you want to go with me?"  
  
"A ball?" she questioned. "I... I don't know how to dance. I'd just embarrass you-"  
  
"We don't have to dance," Cormac insisted. "It'd be more of a dress up, meet a few people, drink and then call it a night kind of thing." Oh.   
  
"It sounds lovely," Scarlett admitted. "I... I don't have anything to wear, though. I'd imagine it's quite fancy."  
  
"During Hogsmeade, we can go looking, or you can break off with your little girlfriends - find something nice."  
  
That sounded lovely. And she had a few galleons saved away that she could use. Severus had been forking her piles of galleons lately. Scarlett suspected for Christmas, but she wasn't sure. Maybe he was just giving her money for Tyler? She wasn't sure. She put most of it in a small jar in ther trunk, for Tyler, so she would have something for him. It would surely be enough for a gown.   
  
"Oh... alright. I'd love to go with you. When is it?"  
  
"Christmas Eve. That's alright, right?" Was it? Yes. As long as it wasn't the twenty-third. "Where are you going for Christmas?"  
  
"Molly's invited me to the Burrow," Scarlett sighed. "Which is great, but I'm going to miss Hogwarts, already. It's so beautiful here." She looked out towards the Forbidden Forest, seeing the Black Lake glinting in the moonlight, reflecting bits of the castle and mountains. "I never want to leave."  
  
"I don't think anyone does," Cormac agreed, his voice soft as he, too, stared out into the vast landscape before them. "Well, except Weasley."  
  
She laughed quietly, but didn't argue. Ron absolutely hated classes and wanted to leave more than anything, follow the twins. To Harry... Hogwarts was his home. And to Scarlett, it was really the only home she had grown to love. Malfoy Manor was... dark, nothing of what it once was. And the Burrow, while lovely, was... busy. Hogwarts, however... Her hands ran along the rail, and she stared down, struck by how high up they were.   
  
"Where are you going for Christmas?"  
  
"I'll be in London until Christmas Day," Cormac admitted. "Then I'm heading with my dad on a Ministry trip to Albania."  
  
"That sounds fun," Scarlett admitted brightly. "Where is Albania, exactly?"  
  
"Do you know where Greece is?" She didn't, no. Now that she thought of it, she didn't know much about... well, geography. "Oh, well, it's right next to Greece... Down by the Mediterranean. I, personally, would rather be in Crete, but... this isn't vacation."  
  
"What's Crete?" she question.  
  
"It's an island, in Greece. It's beautiful," Cormac admitted. "Maybe I'll take you there one day."   
  
"Oh... that sounds lovely," Scarlett admitted, because it did. But she still had no idea where any of this was. She needed a map.   
  
"If the Weasleys let me, I'll pick you up from the Burrow for the ball, ya know?" Cormac said suddenly. "But, they might not let me through the wards. I don't blame them, either. The war is making even the safest houses appear weak." Her thoughts immediately went to Tyler and her stomach clenched. "But I'm sure we can work something out."  
  
"What kind of dress do I need?" she asked. "I've never been to a ball before."  
  
"Have Weaslette help. She'll know. Though I don't exactly trust her fashion sense..." Scarlett giggled. "Just let me know what color it is. So we can match?"  
  
"You'll wear a gown too?" she teased.  
  
"No," he chuckled, bumping her elbow. "I'll get a matching tie or something." She suspected that would be the equivalent for a male. They stayed there for a while, in silence, staring at the stars. It was why she loved Thursday nights. She didn't have much homework and no extra lessons. Well, none that she didn't have to do, anyway.  
  
"So... since Slughorn's party is this Sunday... and we leave for break on Monday... I say we do we something big... for Weasley and Granger-"  
  
Scarlett smiled. "Leave that to me. Tomorrow during breakfast. . ."  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
She smiled. "You'll see."  
  
"I was going to say mistletoe or something, at the party-"  
  
"Absolutely not," Scarlett insisted. "Besides, Sunday morning I have my Healer Year Three exam. I want to be able to enjoy that night, instead of making it all about shocking Hermione - who will shout about it to Ron."  
  
"What are you planning tomorrow?"  
  
"Just be there," she insisted. "Leave the rest to me."   
  
"Am I going to like it?"  
  
She grinned. "No hints."  
  
He groaned. "Fine... We should head to bed. It's almost curfew." She nodded, but she still needed to...   
  
"Can you get Julian, if he's up in your dorm? I'd like to talk to him for a second," Scarlett admitted as they went down the spiral stairs.  
  
"Scarlett..."  
  
"It's a hint, if anything," Scarlett insisted. He sighed, but agreed.  
  
By the time they reached Gryffindor Common Room, it was pretty full, but she couldn't see Julian. "I'll get him," Cormac sighed and she kissed his cheek lightly in thanks, but he was already gone, ducking away. She glanced around the Common Room, noting how Ron was deep in the ... well, his tongue was half down Lavender's throat, it seemed. And Hermione was nearly murdering the essay she was writing, obviously noticing it.   
  
And Harry... she couldn't spot him. Maybe he was in his dorm? Well, he would have to be. There was nowhere else he could be.  
  
"Prince," a voice greeted her, making her jump slightly. But it was just Julian, giving her an easy grin and glancing around as he noticed she was still looking. "Cormac figured you needed to talk to me alone, so he's still upstairs.  
  
"Oh, right," Scarlett smiled. "I have a plan for tomorrow at breakfast... do you think you could help?"  
  
"Is this goin' to be great?" Julian questioned. "Because I only work on things that are great, to make me seem even greater-"  
  
"Absolutely," Scarlett grinned. "I'm going to give Ron and Hermione a heart attack. And quite possibly Professor Snape... Most likely all three at once." His grin grew even wider and he seemed very pleased with this idea. "But I need you to do something, for me..."  
  
"I'm in," Julian grinned. "Name it and it's done."  
  
**  
  
Scarlett took a deep breath, making sure her uniform was straight and the bag with her books for Friday were all tucked neatly away. She hid in an aclove near the entrance hall, listening to Julian talking quite loudly to Cormac on the way to the Great Hall. The staircase was barren, except for them, and Scarlett was thankful Julian asked no questions in her request.  
  
"Honestly, mate, you just need to wait for her reply. She's not a particularly outgoing bird, you know? I'd imagine she'll give you her answer soon, though, for Hogsmeade. I mean, you asked her, what? Three days ago?"  
  
"Er, yeah," Cormac said, confused. But thankfully, he was smart enough not to question what was going on. He knew Julian knew about the bet. "She sort of... started rambling?"  
  
"Well of course she did!" Julian insisted. "Look at you! Strapping young man. I'm surprised she didn't vomit all over the library table. She certainly looked green enough." Scarlett rolled her eyes. He was starting to over play it. "Not because of you, mate. I think it just made her nervous, was all. I mean, she hangs around Zabini and Malfoy all the time. She can't have been expecting you to ask her. You've been friends now for... what? Four months?"  
  
"Er, five."  
  
"Well, if she doesn't respond by today, I guess you lot aren't going, huh?"  
  
Their voices drifted away and Scarlett slowly emerged from her hiding spot, knowing that the memory of that would be firmly planted in her head to help make a memory later. And she followed them, giving them more than enough time to sit down at the Gryffindor table. She was going to make this big, and it wasn't ... really her style, but it was now or never.   
  
She enjoyed the silence for just a moment, knowing that Hermione's voice would constantly be chewing at her from this moment on about Cormac. It was a good silence... a quiet one, except for the chattering voices from the Great Hall.   
  
And then she was striding through the doors of the Great Hall, her steps purposeful and going directly towards her boyfriend. Cormac didn't seem to notice her entrance but a few of the Gryffindors she passed looked up at her, surprised by her forceful steps.   
  
"Uh, mate...?" Julian said uncertainly. Merlin, he was a brilliant actor. "Scarlett looks like she's going to hurt you."   
  
"Wha-?" Cormac wheeled around just as she reached him and she dropped her bag before seizing his shoulders and planting her lips on his own.   
  
"Bloody hell," Julian muttered, surprised. This was sort of, er... the secret part that she didn't tell him. The reactions all around them had to be entirely real, so when the memory played, it all looked as real as possible.  
  
Cormac, too, was surprised as he suddenly grabbed her waist, pulling her closer to him. She loved it when he would pull her closer. It was like ... a very subtle message that he wanted more. That he wanted her to keep kissing him. So she did. She deepened the kiss, her fingers running through his short brown hair, pulling his face even closer to her.   
  
She grinned against him as she heard Ron sputtering and Hermione whispering furiously to Harry. And a few Gryffindor's cheering them on. And whispers from the Hufflepuffs about how Cormac was going to be murdered by Severus. And some Slytherins were even laughing.   
  
But still they didn't break apart. Not even when she was half in his lap because he had pulled her so close. It was the tumbling of a pumpkin juice glass, spilling all over the table, that caused them to break apart, but not really move. "So Hogsmeade?" she questioned, their eyes so close together that she couldn't focus on him properly.  
  
"Oh, absolutely," Cormac chuckled. "How purple's Weasley? A whole round of firewhiskey if he's matching the Fat Lady's dress."  
  
Scarlett couldn't help but laugh, glancing up to see that Ron looked almost a little blue. "I don't think he's breathing."  
  
"I don't think anyone's breathing," Julian muttered. "Bloody hell. Every bloke in this school is going to need a cold shower for that one."  
  
Scarlett laughed, sitting down beside Cormac when he made room for her. "Sorry... I figured, you know... he deserved a proper answer... And I needed a few days to gather some of that Gryffindor courage everyone always talks about..."  
  
"Are you always that spontaneous? Because it is the hottest surprise since we first met," Cormac insisted. "Although..." He hesitated before glancing towards the Head Table. "Your dad is absolutely livid."  
  
Scarlett winced, meeting her father's gaze. "Oh... yeah, didn't really... um, think that part through."   
  
"I'll meet you in the courtyard at eight tomorrow?"  
  
"Absolutely," Scarlett insisted. She glanced away from her father, who was turning an unhealthy shade of pink, and accidentally met the gazes of Ron and Hermione. "Uh... If I live, that is."  
  
"Right," Cormac murmured, glancing at them. "Well... they can't kill you without going to Azkaban."  
  
"Because that was a comfort," Scarlett muttered. She hurriedly glanced away from them, noticing Harry just looked green from the display.  
  
"You can always ignore them," Julian supplied, as if he was being helpful. "I mean, they have to be easy to avoid, right?"  
  
"Except they're in at least every class I have," Scarlett pointed out. She reached for the toast, buttered already in the rack, and settled for some strawberry jam to spread on it, before she plated a few spoonfuls of eggs. "Besides, they'll get over it. They can't just decide not to let me go anywhere. I have classes to-"  
  
"It is strictly against the school rules for such public displays of affection." Cormac froze, paling at the crisp voice that spoke up from behind them. Scarlett shot Julian a glare for not warning them, but he looked just as terrified. "Twenty points from Gryffindor, from each of you."  
  
Scarlett winced. "Sorry, sir," Scarlett apologized, turning around to face her father. She set the fork down, half stabbed with some eggs. She bit her lip, and he narrowed his eyes at her. "It won't happen again."  
  
He grunted and swept away, his cloak billowing as he moved out of the Great Hall, no doubt to his classroom for the day. And Scarlett had Muggle Studies to get to.   
  
"That wasn't so bad," Seamus piped up. "Forty points can be gained."  
  
"Yeah, but I have him for a private lesson today during third and there might be more points," Scarlett winced. "And Hermione and Ron might kill me in Transfig... or after Transfig..." She moaned, resting her elbow on the table as she imagined how much fighting would be in the halls. "I'm dead."  
  
"Well, you've been snogging for the last three months," Neville shrugged. "They can't yell at you that much... I mean, Ron's dating Lavender Brown for Merlin's sake..."  
  
Seamus gagged into his pumpkin juice and Julian laughed boisterously. "True. They can't exactly judge you for bad taste if Ron's got that lagging around," Julian pointed out.  
  
That was true. Ron certainly couldn't. Hermione, on the other hand, was highly logical and she could say whatever she wanted. Well... save for the fact she was about to ask Cormac to the Slug Club party. She perked up, grinning. "You're right! Merlin, Julian, I could kiss you-" She paused, frowning as she wrinkled her nose. Cormac chuckled. "Not really, actually. That would be weird... and a bit gross."  
  
"Gross?" Julian cried, offended.  
  
"Sorry, it's just..." She hesitated. "It would be weird."  
  
"His own mum doesn't even kiss him. She thinks it's gross, too," Cormac informed her. Scarlett laughed, but sent an apologetic smile to Julian, to tell him she really meant no offense. Julian just grumbled, stabbing his eggs.   
  
She wasn't wrong in that she was confronted immediately after Transfiguration got out.  
  
"What in the world were you thinking?" Hermione demanded, grabbing her arm roughly and pulling her to the far wall, so that they weren't in the way of the departing students. Ron was following, dragging Harry, as well. "Do you know how many people saw that? You were practically on top of his lap-"  
  
Scarlett flushed. "It was just snogging-"  
  
"Just snogging?" Ron cried. "It looked more like you were playing Quidditch with his tonsels-"  
  
"Ron-" Harry groaned, looking a bit sick again.  
  
Scarlett sighed. "He asked me to Hogsmeade, and I didn't have a chance to give him an answer-"  
  
"So snogging him in the middle of breakfast, in front of everyone, was the best way to go about it?" Hermione shrieked. "Do you know what people will think of you? Merlin, they must be whispering something awful. How could you-"  
  
"Well, I certainly hope not, or they've been as blind as you two have been for months now," Scarlett interrupted, snorting. "I mean, honestly, Cormac and I have had a bet going for months on when you two would notice-"  
  
"Notice what?" Ron shouted. "You were snogging the enemy! He's only interested in getting into your knickers and then he'll leave you-"  
  
"Funny," Scarlett interrupted once more. "Especially since we've been dating for three months now and haven't slept together." Ron sputtered and Hermione looked positively outraged. "And don't even start," Scarlett said suddenly, turning towards Hermione. "Just last week you mentioned asking him to Slughorn's party."   
  
"But that's different!" Hermione insisted. "I was only doing it to annoy-"  
  
"And Ron," Scarlett pressed. "You've been getting into Lavender's knickers for what? A month now? She's the one that cursed my hair blue and you know what she told the Prophet. So don't try to lecture me on how I'm being corrupted by the enemy or ... or whatever. Cormac's been a perfect gentlemen to me, and he's been far more observent to what is actually going on than you two have been."  
  
"But-but Lavender-" Ron sputtered, trying to grasp at some straws. "He's only going to leave you-"  
  
"I assure you, if he was going to sleep with me and leave, it would have been done by now-"  
  
"Harry!" Hermione cried. "Tell her how insane she is. All Cormac's doing is using her, you know it!"  
  
"Uh... I'm with Scarlett, actually," Harry muttered, flushing as Hermione rounded on him. "I've known about it for two months... Uh, I even got in on their bet. Cormac won, because I thought you'd find out when we were at the Burrow... He thought you'd find out by Hogsmeade..."  
  
"I gave you three more credit. Three weeks into the relationship," Scarlett admitted.   
  
"Cormac's actually... uh, pretty good to her," Harry admitted. "I know ... uh, we don't see eye to eye all the time, but when she's called away, Zabini or Malfoy tell him, and he tells me... we wait up for her." Scarlett gave them a sheepish smile. "I'm actually really surprised you didn't know. Because once I knew, it became really obvious. They bloody hold hands to classes in the morning-"   
  
"But if the wrong people find out that you're dating Cormac," Hermione hissed. "That was very stupid of you to do-"  
  
"Actually, the Dark Lord wants me to date him," Scarlett corrected her. "Told me so two months ago in fact. He doesn't know that we were already dating... Actually... Ginny was the first to know... and then Dumbledore... And then my father."  
  
"This isn't okay," Ron insisted. "He's not a good bloke! I mean, look at him, he's-"  
  
"Wickedly considerate, really attractive, and not to mention will sit with me for hours in absolute silence as we work on homework together," Scarlett informed him, making his mouth shut. "Yes, I quite agree. He's not a good bloke at all." She shouldered her bag, turning from them. As she walked down the hall, she spoke over her shoulder. "He's great."  
  
"This isn't over, Scarlett. I expect a lengthly discussion," Hermione called.  
  
Scarlett sighed. She was aware.  
  
Her father glanced up from papers he was grading as she entered his office, setting her bookbag down and he looked her over. "I assume the deed is done."  
  
She blinked, confused. "Sir?"  
  
"The Dark Lord's task."  
  
She cleared her throat, flushing. "No, sir... I was fabricating a memory for the Dark Lord." He seemed surprised. "Where Cormac would ask me to Hogsmeade... I had Julian in on it, creating the memory background where he was insisting to Cormac that after I supposedly ran from him, quite nervous by his proposal to Hogsmeade, I would come around. And today ... would have been my acceptance."  
  
"Interesting."  
  
"That was the goal, sir. Cormac's reputation has no doubt reached the Dark Lord in regards to who he looks for in a girlfriend. I was attempting to play up to those standards, to be spontaneous and... well, it worked, sir."  
  
"Indeed. The next time you think of these ... illustrious plans, try to consider school rules."  
  
Scarlett nodded, swallowing. "Sorry, sir."  
  
"The Dark Lord will not call for you over Christmas break. He will not risk your position amongst the Order. However, he has caught wind that you will be attending the Minister's Ball... he intercepted a letter from the McLaggen boy this morning being sent to his family. He is pleased."  
  
Scarlett sighed in relief. "Good."  
  
"The Dark Lord will be in attendance at this ball under disguise. Do your best to maintain a bit of distance from McLaggen, while also not being so distant to arouse suspicion from him," Severus informed her. "There is very little you can show emotionally, do you understand?"  
  
Scarlett nodded, but she was slightly terrified, as well. The ball was... going to be with the Dark Lord in attendance? "What does the Dark Lord think about the display this morning?"  
  
"He is pleased. And he believes that your behavior will intice McLaggen further. It seems he thinks your plan was very much like you intended." She sighed in relief, yet again. "He will not disturb you until after break, so that you will have the evenings following Hogsmeade and Slughorn's party for him." The sentence seemed to taste like dirt in his mouth.  
  
"I'm not going to sleep with him, sir," Scarlett spoke up, hoping to assuage her father. "He knows what the Dark Lord wants from him... I've been using old memories, ones from Theodore Nott - as they have the same build - and replicating them with Greyback's actions, and then adding the voice of Cormac to tell me things the Dark Lord wants to know - Cormac knows that the information is a must and he gives it to me so that the Dark Lord doesn't grow dissatisified with me."   
  
"He's smart, then."  
  
"Very, sir," Scarlett nodded. "The memory will be perfected, once I get a good idea what I'll be wearing the night of the party. And I can use the same memory with a few modifications for other subsequent dates, such as the Ministry Ball."  
  
He cleared his throat, but nodded. "Good." He rose from his desk, moving to a few drawers on the far side of the room and she recognized the small vial he grabbed, to administer the Veriteserum. She accepted the drop happily. She had almost mastered it. And then he held out a pouch to her. "This is for you to purchase any robes you may need for the Ministry Ball, or Slughorn's Club party. There is a nice dress shop in Hogsmeade that I think you will find will have everything you need."  
  
"Oh, thank you, sir," Scarlett said. She took the pouch hesitantly, surprised at how heavy it was. "Sir... you really don't have to give me galleons. I still have plenty from the last time you gave me some... the excuse being Christmas presents. Really, sir, you don't need to keep-"  
  
"Yes, well, I feel it would be best if you have a bit of money on your person, should there ever be an occassion where you are in need of it." She nodded quickly, setting the pouch into her bag carefully, making sure it was secure. "Due to the fact that the Ministry balls tend to run late into the morning, you will have to retire for the evening at the McLaggen household, which McLaggen will offer you anyway - as he asked his parents in the letter if that was suitable." Oh. "An Order escort will pick you up that afternoon to take you back to the Burrow."   
  
"That sounds acceptable, sir," Scarlett admitted. "If it is alright with the McLaggen family, of course."   
  
He nodded simply. "Your favorite color?"  
  
"Brown," she said immediately. His lips quirked.  
  
"Rather ugly color."  
  
"Reminds me of Lavender Brown. Can't say I ever liked it," Scarlett shrugged.   
  
"I do believe you've mastered one drop. We'll add two the next time we see each other." She nodded, knowing that they wouldn't see each other until they were at the Burrow, during Order meeetings - and before that Slughorn's party. So, no sessions, at least until the Burrow. "If McLaggen should do anything untoward-"  
  
"He won't," Scarlett said simply. "I have faith in that."  
  
"Faith can easily be broken-"  
  
"Cormac's not like that," Scarlett insisted. He raised an eyebrow. "At least, not anymore." She sighed. "I'll be fine, sir... Nothing will happen untoward."  
  
He simply grunted. "Let's begin with boggarts, I believe."  
  
She agreed and readied herself as the wiggling chest in the corner opened and Severus stepped out of the way. And Scarlett was staring at the face of a floating dead body - of Tyler. And then it flickered, showing her Severus's dead body, and then Harry, and then Cormac, and then all of the Weasleys, one after another, and then it kept flickering, kept changing the bodies in front of her, in a vicious cycle, one she couldn't escape.  
  
It was in no particular order of affection or care, just anyone she wanted to protect, to keep safe... anyone she cared about. All appeared, no pattern, and more added as her brain thought up more.   
  
"Good, your fear is changing," Severus spoke. "It is no longer just your son, but others around you. Anyone you know."  
  
"Anyone I care about," Scarlett corrected as the boggart once more shifted to Severus. It lingered for a few seconds and then changed to Tyler, and then Cormac, and then Harry. It was cast back into the trunk and she sucked in a sharp breath, willing the images of their bodies away. She didn't want to think of them. "It changed, sir, did you notice? It started to show more people the moment I knew for certain Tyler was safe." It was true. Just over two months ago, the image changed from Tyler's floating form to Harry, flickering and then adding Severus. And it continued until her nightmares began to include more friends she loved dying. More people she cared for dying.  
  
"That is good," Severus stated simply. "It means there is little the Dark Lord can take from this, other than you fear those you live around dead. The varying emotional attachments to each person will make him believe it is just those that you know, not those you care for."  
  
"That's a good thing," Scarlett said quietly. "Because then he won't target anyone specifically."  
  
"No," Severus agreed. "Let us work on Occulmency now. I don't believe the boggart needs to be touched as much, anymore." She agreed.   
  
When she got to the Common Room after dinner, Cormac was holding her hand tightly. "Hermione's going to be lecturing me quite a bit," she warned him. "So... I would recommend you run while you still can."  
  
"And have you face her alone?" Cormac asked, incredulous she'd think of such a thing. "Absolutely not. Fireplace or window?"  
  
Scarlett contemplated both options. "How about the window. Since it's colder, we'll just have to cuddle." He shot her a look. "What?"  
  
"This is that cold shower stuff I was telling you about. It's moments like this I picture McGonagall naked."  
  
She giggled. "Sorry..." She kissed his cheek lightly, but grabbed a blanket from the back of one of the chairs by the fire, spreading it to rest on the cool stone, and then she grabbed another to wrap around the both of them and once they were settled atop the stone shelf, of sorts. The only warm position they could come up with that allowed the blanket to cover the both of them was Scarlett settled between Cormac's legs, his arms wrapped around her middle, pulling her into his chest as he rested his chin on her shoulder.   
  
His warm breath tickled her neck. "Don't you have homework to do?" she questioned.  
  
"It's Friday night, and we don't have any more classes until after break," he reminded her. "All of your assignments can wait until you're at the Burrow." Oh... he was right. She didn't reach for her bag, instead sighing as she leaned back into him, her own hands clutching the ends of the blanket and holding his arms closer to her. "I don't remember a time where we've just sat here and done absolutely nothing before."  
  
"It's nice, isn't it?" she commented. "So relaxing."  
  
"So, you know how there's that ball I asked you to?" She responded with a hum, shutting her eyes as she pressed her head to her knees, which also meant her head was pressed against his own. It was comforting, the position they were in. "Well, it's not expected to end until very late... and I don't think the Weasleys would like it much if you show up at three in the morning fresh from a ball."  
  
"No, I don't think so either," Scarlett agreed, laughing quietly. "Can you imagine Mrs. Weasley's nightmask?"  
  
"Exactly," Cormac chuckled, the sound vibrating his chest and mussing up the fabric between his chest and her back. "So, uh, you're actually more than welcome to come back to my house in London, sleep there."  
  
"Is that alright with your parents?" Scarlett questioned, biting her lip. The last she had heard of the matter, it was just a proposal to his parents. "I don't want to-"  
  
"Oh, yeah, dad wrote me back this evening before dinner, actually. He said it was alright and a few Aurors are more than willing to escort you back to the Burrow-"  
  
"I'm sure we can get an Order member I trust to do so... not that I don't trust your father's judgement, I just... don't know the Aurors, and... I don't know who to trust, really."   
  
"Oh, yeah, that's fine too," Cormac insisted. "It was just an option... So that's okay?"  
  
"It sounds great," Scarlett promised. "And you can show me that broom collection you mentioned a few times." A million times, but Scarlett hadn't minded. He was passionate about flying, and it was endearing to see him talk about it. "Have you added any brooms recently?"  
  
"No, no new ones have come out, but there's rumor that the new Cleansweep and Rocket-Swipe will be out soon. I suspect just after Christmas."  
  
A throat cleared and they both lifted their heads at the same time, revealing Hermione, looking quite cross, with her arms crossed and her hair almost cackling with static, or fury. Scarlett wasn't sure which.  
  
"I am absolutely disgusted that you would keep this from us," Hermione said simply. "Absolutely furious that you stooped low enough to bet on this. Such behavior I'd expect from Fred and George, but from you, Scarlett?"  
  
"In my defense, the bet consisted of nothing but asking the winner to Hogsmeade," Cormac spoke up, "so it's not like it was monetary gain or anything-"  
  
"I don't want to hear you speak," Hermione snapped. Cormac obeyed making Scarlett slightly tense. Wonderful. "Scarlett, how could you be so stupid-"  
  
"Oi, she's not stupid," Cormac defended.  
  
"Where in the world do you have time for this?" Hermione demanded. "You don't! In case you haven't noticed, you don't have a single moment where you aren't studying, or beating that ridiculous dummy, or working on some assignment... And why him, of all of the self-respecting males in Hogwarts, he's the bloody worst one you could have picked."  
  
Scarlett frowned. "She's right, you know," Scarlett informed Cormac regretfully. "I should have shagged Malfoy while I had the chance."  
  
Cormac snorted, burying his head in her hair. "That's not what I'm saying!" Hermione cried. "And this isn't some joke. This is serious. Cormac isn't the best guy you could have gone for-"  
  
"You were going to ask him to Slughorn's party," Scarlett reminded her. "He must have something going for him."  
  
"I am right here, you know," Cormac muttered.  
  
"Precisely why I'm currently defending you," Scarlett returned under her breath as Hermione huffed.  
  
"That was different," Hermione insisted. "The only reason I even considered it is because I knew it would piss Ron off."  
  
She blinked. "And you need to realize that Ron is currently shagging Lavender, and you two never had a relationship. There is no reason to make him jealous other than the fact you feel jealous he has a girlfriend... and you feel jealous that I have a boyfriend-"  
  
"But you don't even have time for a boyfriend."  
  
"Actually we have a lot of time," Cormac admitted, lifting his gaze. "It was a bit rough at first, getting into a schedule, but we manage to spend seven evenings a week either here, the library, or the Room of Requirement - whilst getting our homework done, snogging, and thinking of new ways to try and see how obvious we could make it before you noticed. While we worked around her meetings she goes to, mostly on Saturday nights, by the way, and working around any extra sessions she does with the dummy in the Room of Requirement. And adding to the fact Slughorn gives her two extra projects a week, instead of one-" Hermione's jaw dropped, and she started to say something, but Cormac continued, "-and the fact that every morning I join her for her dummy beatings, I'd say we spend a lot of time together. Probably too much time together, thinking about it. Even Julian's started to notice that some of my clothes smell of her perfume."  
  
Scarlett snorted. "He does? I didn't think my perfume was that strong-"  
  
"It's not, so we must be rubbing against each other all the time."   
  
Hermione sputtered. "Adding the fact that sex is strictly against the school rules! Scarlett, you could be expelled from your Healer program with the amount of points taken off for such conduct." Scarlett frowned slightly. She hadn't thought of that. "And he isn't the kind of guy that really cares about you. He only cares about what's going on in your-"  
  
"I'll have you know, Granger," Cormac suddenly spat, his voice the harshest Scarlett had ever heard it. It made Hermione falter slightly. "You don't give me, or Scarlett enough credit. If I was just going to sleep with her, I would have pulled a Brown and Weasley, would I have? The whole relationship business isn't exactly my style for sleep with them and leave them." He looked her over. "You're bitter, because you know that she's better than you-"  
  
"Cormac..." Scarlett said gently. She didn't want the anger directed at her, but she also didn't want him to be rude to Hermione.  
  
"And that she's got everything you ever wanted, because she's earned it. She goes through hell every single day. You don't think that your petty arguments with Potter over that bloody book, because he's doing better than you, or the fights you have with Weasley because he's actually managed to snag a bedmate, and you haven't, bother her? They do, but she has more things going on than to care about them - and quite frankly, so does the entire school. There's a war going on, Granger, and your petty jealousies are stupid. Which makes you stupid. She goes to him every single Saturday, tells him things to keep not only herself alive, but her friends, and her family, and everyone she bloody cares about-"  
  
"You don't think we know that, already?" Hermione demanded, but the look she gave to the information told Scarlett that they didn't know she was gone every Saturday.  
  
"And the only one that bloody seems to care that she's gone every week is Potter or myself. The only ones that notice, because you're so busy shouting at Weasley or Potter himself. You don't think she has other problems she needs to worry about than her friends fighting? No wonder she can't hang out with you all the time. She doesn't bloody need that stress. Not with thirteen bloody classes and her extra lessons and the fact that there's a bloodthirsty maniac out there who's trying to hunt her son down, to use a three year old boy to make his mother listen to everything he tells her to do." Hermione swallowed. "You act like bad things aren't happening, and all me and her bloody worry about are the bad things, trying to make things better, trying to focus on the good things, so that we can actually have a good time, and actually try to lose ourselves from this bloody war. But we can't, Granger, and we wish we could."  
  
"We care about the bad things," Hermione insisted. "We're trying to fix them, too. Harry's working on it-"  
  
"All you bloody care about are House-elf rights, and werewolf rights, and things that don't matter to the war. Maybe they matter, once the war's finally over, but right now that should be the furthest thing from your mind. You can't do a fucking thing about it," Cormac continued. "You're what? A seventeen year old girl in her sixth year? You can't do anything."  
  
"And you can?" Hermione retorted sharply. "You're an arrogant prick, you know that? All you bloody do is talk about how high and mighty your father is, how high and mighty you are. That's why I bloody jinxed your broom during Quidditch tryouts. You didn't deserve to be on Gryffindor's team. Merlin, you're just like Malfoy. No wonder she likes you. It's Stockholm syndrome. It's a Muggle term-" Cormac's jaw clenched against her shoulder, in obvious anger.  
  
"Actually, it's a medical term in both worlds," Scarlett interjected, her voice sharp now too. "And it's not true. If I was the victim of Stockholm syndrom, I'd be panting after Malfoy, wouldn't I? Cormac is nothing like him. And to think that you think the only reason I like him is because I was a bloody slave that is always subservient to any male that asks her to be is sickening. I'm not a slave anymore. I'm not some ... tart that cares nothing about herself. I respect myself enough to know I have problems - who wouldn't? I've seen enough to last me a life time, I've experienced enough. But I also respect myself enough to be honest with myself. The Malfoys were my family. They always have been, and nothing would have changed that. Sure, they were abusive and cruel, but that's how some families are. It doesn't make it right. And just because you think you know more than me, that you're more knowledged with myself than I am offends me."  
  
"I don't think I know more about yourself," Hermione began, but Cormac interrupted.  
  
"All you do is criticize her," Cormac spoke. "Judge her, ridicule her because she's doing better at things more than you ever could. Because she's seizing every opportunity given to her-"  
  
"What, and you're an opportunity?" Hermione snorted. "Don't make me-"  
  
"So what if I am?" Cormac shrugged. "So what if I'm not. I don't really care what I am to her, as long as I mean something to her." Scarlett chewed her lip, to hide a small smile that showed how much her heart warmed at the words. "She's going to make an excellent Healer, an excellent mother, and probably the best bloody witch this world has seen," Cormac professed. "And they may call you the Brightest Witch of your age, but that's because they haven't seen what Scarlett's done for the war - how much she's  helped us out. Just last month she actually saved a Muggleborn family that was being targeted by Death Eaters with the invention of a ward because of one of Snape's extra projects for her." Scarlett swallowed. They weren't supposed to know that. "You-know-who has found Scarlett so valuable that he's telling her every single thing she could possibly need to know for the Order. All because she's smart, and she plans exactly what she's doing. I bet she could test out of Hogwarts this very second and pass with flying colors and land any job she could possibly every dream of."  
  
"You never told us-"  
  
"Because you never bloody listen to me," Scarlett said quietly. "It's always 'you don't have time for this' and 'Cormac' that and 'foolish' this and 'how dare you' that." Scarlett shrugged lightly. "I just started to not talk to you guys... It was so much work to make you listen to something I had to say, and... it was time I could have spent doing something else. I have a million things I could be doing right now, including snogging my boyfriend or creating false memories or finishing my homework early, but I'm not because I'm trying to make you listen to me, for once.. When you first met me, I was severely underweight," Scarlett admitted. "I was quiet, I didn't look anyone in the eye. I only spoke when spoken to... I didn't even know how to read. And you taught me how to be strong, and to stand up straight, and to read... and I've always admired you for it... But... then you didn't stop telling me what to do. You started to tell me how to do this, and how to do that... and it wasn't how I wanted to do things. You began to tell me who to stay away from, who to be friends with... all I wanted, when I came to Hogwarts, was to make friends, no matter what house, or what circle they were from." She shrugged again, her gaze traveling to her feet, which were socked, and her shoes resting on the floor by Hermione's own feet. She wiggled her toes slightly. "I wanted to discover me, not... who Hermione wanted me to be. And then it was who Ron wanted me to be. And Harry... and it was so stressful to be around you guys. And so when we started not to talk as much, it was liberating. And I hate to say it, but I had so little stress, so much free time... You three argue, as Cormac said, about everything - even about the weather. I don't care about it. I never did. It's pointless. I have other things to worry about-"  
  
"Like killing Zabini or punching Malfoy," Cormac supplied.  
  
She snorted. "No... like if I'm going to survive the next meeting I go to, if my Occulmens will be strong enough, if he'll give me Veriteserum. If I'm going to ruin everything in the war. If the safe house will hold, if Tyler's alright, if Harry's alright, if my father's alright... my homework, my training, my ... my healing classes... Merlin, hiding my relationship with Cormac from you because it's such a bad thing to happen that it requires you very publically yelling at me about it," Scarlett said, urging her to understand. "It's driving me mental. Cormac sees it, Harry sees it, even Dumbledore gets worried sometimes." Hermione had the decency, at least, to look ashamed. "I'm sor-"  
  
"Don't you dare apologize to her," Cormac spoke up. "She should be saying she's sorry, not you."  
  
Scarlett swallowed. He was right. Scarlett had done nothing wrong. "It's so exhausting," she settled for. "And if I want to indulge in a boyfriend, actually try some semblance of normalcy in this whole mass of chaos, I should be allowed to. I mean, my father's bloody okay with this, and he's known about it since it pretty much started. And if he's okay with it, then he's no doubt thinking the same thing... I just want to try being an eighteen year old girl, because I never had the chance to be that..." She shifted slightly, her hands clutching the blanket tightly. "And I at least feel a bit more normal with Cormac."  
  
Hermione frowned. "He's not good for you, Scarlett."  
  
"Then who is?" Scarlett asked quietly. "Because apparently you know better than I do."  
  
"That's... that's not the point," she said once she failed to bring up a name. "What happens when he cheats on you-"  
  
"And why would I do that?" Cormac asked, shocked by the idea.  
  
"Because you're you," Hermione snapped. "Scarlett, let's get up to bed. You can say goodnight-"  
  
"I'm going to stay here, actually," Scarlett admitted, interrupting her. "This is the first time since school started I'm actually free from anything pressing, so..." She relaxed into Cormac's chest and he pressed his lips to her shoulder. "You can head up."  
  
"Scarlett," Hermione said, more firmly. "This is childish."  
  
"Actually, I'm choosing to spend time with my boyfriend, so it's not as childish as you seem to think it is. And it's what? Six in the evening? Why would I head up to bed then?" Hermione seemed to realize the time and she huffed, turning and walking away. Scarlett sighed, pressing her face to her knees again. "I feel awful for some of the things said to her-"  
  
"Let her hear them," Cormac shrugged. "She's jealous. You know it, she knows it."  
  
"I suppose," Scarlett agreed quietly and she shut her eyes, listening to gently breathing. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep, but she didn't seem to mind. She was wrapped tightly in Cormac's arms, warm, and ... the most relaxed she had been in months. 


	41. Dolls

When she awoke, there were warm arms wrapped around her, and her body was leaning against another warm object... a leg. She blinked a few seconds, to get her eyes adjusted, and realized she was sitting in the Common Room, the aclove more precisely and the arms around her were most distinctly Cormac.   
  
She had no idea what time it was, but the Common Room was barren and the fire was glowing faintly... It must have been really late. Or really early. His head was resting against her shoulder still, and the steady rise and fall of his shoulders told her he was sleeping deeply. The position didn't seem comfortable in the slightest.   
  
Scarlett shifted slightly, trying not to wake him, and the arms tightened around her stomach, causing her to flush. Her sweater had ridden up and his warm skin was touching her own. It tickled. And with her pressed more firmly against his body, she was given insight to ... other things. The hard part of his anatomy that was pressed against her lowerback. It made her flush. Is this... what he meant with excited?  
  
But the sun seemed to be coming up, at least, the windows on the other end of the Common Room told her that. She yawned, feeling a stiff bit of her neck protest, and she released the blanket she had been holding, gently unwrapping his arms from her so as not to wake him. And as she turned around, she cradled his head in her hands so that it would drop. "Cormac..." she murmured, running her hand through his hair. "Cormac...?" He huffed, curling up and leaning against the stone wall, escaping her grasp.  
  
She giggled, poking his cheek. "Cormac...?" Her lips found his cheek and she breathed into his ear. "Cormac McLaggen..."   
  
"Whuh..." he murmured, his face nuzzling her. She giggled lightly. "Five mo' min..."  
  
"Cormac," she whispered, her voice a little more firmer. He groaned, swatting her hand away as she stroked at his cheek. "Scarlett's looking for you-"  
  
He jerked, his eyes flying open. She giggled, dropping her hand. "Whuh?"  
  
"Sorry..." She watched as he flushed and gathered the blanket in his lap, shifting slightly. "We fell asleep... I, uh, just woke up and you didn't look very comfortable."  
  
"Oh..." He cleared his throat, his voice hoarse from sleep. Scarlett eyed him carefully. "Right..."  
  
"Come on, you should head up to bed," she said gently, taking his hand and slipping down from the aclove. He stumbled down, gathering both of the blankets and tossing them onto the chair by the fireplace, and he shifted slightly, still flushed. She gave him a small smile, still tired herself, and stood on her toes to give him a light kiss. "I'll see you in a few hours."  
  
"Uh, yeah..." He blinked and swooped down, kissing her yet again, a bit more awake. "Courtyard, eight sharp."  
  
"I won't be late," she promised, giggling. A yawn escaped her and she covered her mouth, embarrassed. "Sorry... Goodnight."  
  
She found, once she got to her dorm, that she couldn't fall asleep, so Scarlett sighed as she flopped on her bed, trying to clear her mind. She wanted to do absolutely nothing, just.... be. But she flushed, as the inevitable thought of Cormac's... excitement came to mind. How had that happened? They hadn't been snogging... was he dreaming about something? She didn't know. But it made her wonder.  
  
When everyone in her dorm started to wake up, Scarlett began to dig through her trunk for something to wear - something warm, but also something attractive. Afterall, Ginny would not let her wear anything frumpy. She settled on a grey and red sweater and a pair of nice jeans - things she had barely worn lately as she didn't have a day she didn't wear her uniform. She took a shower and then changed, before finding Ginny.  
  
"Hey," Scarlett said suddenly, grabbing the girl's arm to catch her attention. She released it as Ginny glanced at her. "I need your help... I need to buy a dress for the party tomorrow, and... I need a gown for the Minister's ball-"  
  
Her eyes widened. "He asked you? Merlin, why didn't you tell me sooner? Of course! I'm going with Dean for the first half, but I can meet you at the Three Broomsticks for lunch and we can go shopping together. I've been desperate for a dress, too-"  
  
"Thank you," Scarlett said in relief. "I had no idea what to wear."  
  
"Yeah, I'll meet you there. I need to take a shower though, or I'll still be wet by the time Hogsmeade opens."  
  
So Scarlett left her, heading down to the Common Room, spotting Harry as he flipped through his potions book, confused. "Everything alright?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, I'm just... there's things missing, now," Harry murmured, flipping through the pages again. "The spell for enemies. A few other spells-"  
  
"Maybe it's for the best," Scarlett said gently. "I mean, some of those spells probably shouldn't even be in the eyes of the public, don't you think? What if that spell blew someone up?"  
  
Harry frowned. "Someone's tampered with it..."  
  
Scarlett swallowed. "Well, is it something you just now noticed?"  
  
"No..." He flipped to the front binding, confused. "The name's gone."  
  
Oh. "Maybe it got wet?" Scarlett suggested, trying to leave any possible suspicion off of her. "And the ink wore off." She cleared her throat. "Let's head to breakfast."  
  
He sighed, shutting his book and shoving it into the bookbag on his lap. "Yeah, sure..."   
  
She wrapped her jacket tight to her, glad he dropped the subject of his text, hoping she hadn't caused any suspicion to lay with her. They walked out of the portrait hole with their own thoughts racing and Scarlett made sure that her pouch full of galleons was secure in her pocket.   
  
"Uh... how was the lecture Hermione gave?"  
  
"She's furious," Scarlett admitted. "Horribly mad. And she started to criticize Cormac right in front of him - and he didn't quite like it, so he said some rather rude things to her, but she said rude things back... and then she started to talk as if I was a victim and... that I was mentally unstable, which is why I'm dating him, which I'm not- well, I don't think I am, at any rate. And... she sort of left in a huff."  
  
"And then you and McLaggen fell asleep in the Common Room... Yeah, Seamus figured we might as well just leave you two. Ron was completely against it, but Lavender sort of pulled him away-" Scarlett grimaced. "And I basically had to stop Hermione from waking you two up."  
  
"Thank you, Harry," Scarlett said quietly. "You're the best brother I could ask for."   
  
He flushed. "Well... actually, I'm the only brother you could ask for. That was the whole point of us actually being related."  
  
She laughed. "I was actually saying it as a compliment." He flushed even darker. "I mean it, though. Thank you."  
  
"Oh, well... I like being the brother to someone. Never had the chance before. Dudley's pretty... well, he took more after his dad than my aunt, uh, our aunt. Nasty bit of people. How mum and her were ever related I don't know." Scarlett raised her eyebrows, surprised. He didn't talk much about his aunt and uncle. "Anyway, it's nice to have someone that's actually relatively normal... though, you are a bit weird sometimes. Disappearing and the like."  
  
Scarlett giggled, grabbing her brother's arm and hugging it to her. "We are in a world of magic, afterall. Disappearing acts are quite normal."  
  
He chuckled, but pulled his arm from her grasp, grimacing. "You're getting Cormac germs on me." Scarlett laughed, rubbing her hands along his arm in a teasing manner and he groaned again. "You're happy... he makes you happy."  
  
"Well I sure hope so," Scarlett admitted. "Otherwise that would be awfully disappointing, wouldn't it?"  
  
"I think that's why I'm so okay with it," Harry told her suddenly. "Because he cares about you, and you care about him, and he makes you happy." She smiled softly to herself. She supposed that was true. It was really true. "And even if Ron and Hermione don't see that, I'm glad I got to."  
  
"You really are the best, you know that?" she questioned. "Because you... you trust me and ... I trust you, and I appreciate it." She sighed quietly. "And I know you don't like him... but you tolerate him, and I ..."  
  
"Well, yeah, he's your boyfriend," Harry shrugged. "I don't have to like him. But I don't want to get in the way of anything." He flung his arm around her shoulders, hugging her close. "Besides, if he breaks your heart, I get first rights to break him." She snorted. "Which I secretly look forward to. I've been wanting to punch that prick for years."  
  
"Harry!" she laughed, but too amused to really scold him properly. "You sound like Ron."  
  
"I'm serious, though. If he even thinks about hurting you-"  
  
"I know," Scarlett insisted. "But let's not worry about that. Have you asked anyone to Slughorn's party?"  
  
He groaned. "No. I'm trying to forget about it so that I don't go-"  
  
"Harry," Scarlett sighed. "You're going to have to go. Why don't you ask Hermione? Last I heard she was without a date too. Just go as friends or something... I mean the dance is tomorrow..." Harry groaned, yet again. "I'm sure she'll be grateful you asked."  
  
"She was really going to ask Cormac?"  
  
"Well, she asked me if he had a date, yet. Of course, I said he didn't - he hadn't really asked me, we just sort of assumed... anyway, yes. I thought it was all very ironic."  
  
"She's gone a tad 'round the bend this year," Harry admitted. "I mean, at first I thought it was fine. She's always been a bit protective of people - she mothers the group, but... she's gotten a bit too protective. If it's not with Ron, it's with me... and she just worries, but... whatever you or Cormac said will hopefully... make her realize that you're a person to."  
  
It was a relief. She sat beside him at breakfast, noting how Cormac wasn't there - perhaps he was still asleep. And when Hermione joined them, she pointedly ignored the pair of them.  
  
"Seamus, can you pass me the butter, please?" Hermione questioned, her voice flat.  
  
Seamus did as asked and grinned at Scarlett. "So, not that it was a surprise, but I thought, Scar, that you were keeping that whole snogging business a secret?" Harry snorted as Hermione glanced at him with wide eyes.  
  
"You knew, too?"  
  
"Granger, I think everyone knew," Seamus chuckled.   
  
"It was," Scarlett replied to Seamus. "We were going to see how long it took them to notice." Seamus grinned, obviously amused by the idea. "Cormac won, of course."   
  
But after Hermione found out, she began to ignore Seamus, as well. "So, any reason for snogging him in front of everyone, then?'  
  
"He still didn't know if I was going to go to Hogsmeade with him," Scarlett shrugged. "I figured it was an appropriate response. Say, is that my chocolate muffin?'  
  
Seamus glanced down at his plate, where a chocolate muffin half lay, half eaten. "Uh... right, lass, I'll get ya a right and proper one for Christmas, alright? Uh, sorry?"  
  
Scarlett giggled. "It's alright. I fully intend on eating a bit of chocolate in Hogsmeade today anyway, so it's probably better without." Seamus took a big bite of the muffin, as if tempting her. Scarlett rolled her eyes and reached for a few slices of toast, before pouring herself some cranberry juice.   
  
"Do you snog every bloke that asks you to Hogsmeade?" Seamus questioned, winking in her direction. "Because if so, I'd like to ask you to-"  
  
"No," Scarlett laughed, shaking her head. "Just Cormac because he deserved it." She took a bite of her toast, giving Seamus an expression that clearly conveyed the idea of "so there."   
  
"Well, where is loverboy, then?" Ginny asked brightly. "Merlin, do you know how refreshing it is to actually say something open about it? I've been holding myself back for about three months now-"  
  
"You're all being dramatic," Scarlett insisted. "And he's probably still asleep." She shrugged. "That window isn't very comfortable, you know."   
  
"You could have just gone up to his dorm if you wanted to cuddle," Seamus grinned. Harry kicked him hard under the table. "What? She could have!"  
  
"I don't want to hear that," Harry insisted.  
  
Scarlett giggled. "The aclove was just fine, Seamus, but should the need arise, I'm sure we'll consider your suggestion." Of course, Seamus knew she was joking and just laughed. Scarlett spent the rest of breakfast giggling with Ginny, the girl making jokes about Lavender and Ron a few people down - Lavender feeding Ron berries.  
  
"At least Cormac and I aren't like that," Scarlett muttered.  
  
By seven fifty-five, she rose and headed towards the courtyard, excusing herself from her friends and greeting Cormac as he rested in the breezeway, his cheeks a bit pink from the snowy air. "Hey," she smiled, kissing him lightly. "You weren't at breakfast."  
  
"I decided to sleep in," he shrugged. "It's break, after all. Do you have Christmas shopping to do?"  
  
"I think I'm going to do it after I get my dresses," Scarlett admitted. "That way you won't tell anyone what I buy."  
  
"So I only get half a Hogsmeade with you?"  
  
She grinned, linking arms with him as they walked across the viaduct to the Forbidden Forest path to Hogsmeade. "Well, I never said we couldn't shop together. I just meant that I have to shop alone."  
  
"That makes absolutely no sense," Cormac informed her.  
  
"Of course it does," she giggled. "We can both go into the same store, but we part and select something... Besides, I've already gotten most of it. I just need to find Harry and Ron something... And I think something for Ginny... I don't know if what I ordered from the twins will get to them in time-"  
  
"You ordered from the Weasley Twins?"  
  
"Sort of," Scarlett said quietly. "I wrote to them, and Bill, for help on where to acquire a few things... They were more than happy to oblige. None of them realize that some of the things I asked them to get were gifts for the other... And Ginny's is supposed to be flying in from Spain, but it may take a while, what with the weather-"  
  
"Bloody hell, what did you get everyone?"  
  
"I can't tell you that," Scarlett insisted. "It's a secret."   
  
"Well, can you tell me a hint?"  
  
"Hmmm... Well, I hope you'll like what I got you," Scarlett allowed. "And it can only be used once."  
  
"But that could be anything," Cormac insisted.  
  
"No, it really can't," Scarlett smiled, pleased. "You'll see."  
  
He grumbled, but let it go. She wasn't going to spoil the surprise. She had spent weeks contacting his favorite Quidditch teams, inquiring about ticket prices. And those weeks had finally paid off, leaving her with four shiny tickets at the Burrow in which she had in a gift pile that was building up - she only knew because Bill had written her telling her that he warded them from the curious twins.   
  
When they reached the village, her nose was a bit numb and her cheeks were bright red - just as his appeared to be. And her hair was full of snowflakes, which she found she didn't mind as much. "I've never been in the snow before," she admitted to him. The grounds at Malfoy Manor are charmed so that they don't get any elements of weather, save for rain in the evenings to water the plants. She glanced up at the sky as they walked, her body leaning into his own. "It's beautiful."  
  
"You've never been in snow?" he whispered, as if it were a crime. She knew it wasn't, but it made her wonder if it was truly that horrible. "Well, we're going to fix that. A snowball fight."  
  
"A what?" Scarlett asked, but he was leading her away from the village, towards a lonely house Scarlett remembered reading about in Hogwarts; a History. The Shrieking Shack. Only, they didn't go near it, nor did they stay to admire it, Cormac knelt down in the snow, releasing her hand, and started to touch it with his bare hands, moulding it into a ball. His hands were bright red from the cold as he held it out for her and she took it, finding that it was ice cold.   
  
"Right, you throw them at people you're playing with," Cormac informed her. "And you keep making them and throwing them until you win." She stared at the snowball in her hands and he knelt down at her feet, forming another snowball. And she dropped it, intentionally, so that it landed just shy of his shoulder, on his back. He glanced up at her, freezing.   
  
"Oops," she said innocently.  
  
"It's on," Cormac promised. And he stood, still crunching the snow in his hand, staring at her with a very neutral expression, making Scarlett hesitate slightly. What was he going...  
  
"Cormac!" she cried as the ice cold liquid landed just so that it started to seep down into her jacket. She shivvered and grabbed some snow, not really knowing how to form a snowball, and threw it in his general direction. It exploded in a puff before it even landed on him and he chuckled. "That's not fair! I don't know how to make one-"  
  
"You started it," Cormac teased. "Come on..." He pulled her close and they both knelt into the snow, and he took her hands, keeping them warm from the blistering cold of the ice particles. "You just keep pressing firmly until it's a ball - and you gotta make sure that it's as solid as you can get it, otherwise it'll just... explode." She heard the snow crunching in her hands, and Cormac released her own, so that he could build some snowballs himself.   
  
She didn't know how long they spent throwing them at each other, but her cheeks hurt from the wind and smiling, and her eyes were watering from laughing so hard, and her sweater truly felt damp from the snow that had soaked into it. They quit when they had difficulty feeling their fingers and Scarlett rubbed her hands together in hopes of warming them up. She didn't have gloves - she never thought that she would need them, since she had pockets. Now she saw why.  
  
Cormac was suddenly standing in front of her, his body blocking a harsh gust of wind, and he gripped her hands with his own, and she was startled to find they were freezing cold as well. He rubbed them between his own, his breath coming out in little whisps, just as hers were. And she felt her hands warming up, miraculously. Looking at them between his own large hands, they were bright pink from the cold.   
  
"Merlin, you don't really notice it until after," she admitted. He suddenly cupped his hands around hers, bringing them up to his face, and he blew warm breath on them. The action alone made her feel as if it was ten degrees warmer.   
  
"Better?" he asked in a murmur, her hands still in the path of his breath.  
  
"Yeah..." she said softly, and he rubbed them again for a few moments before kissing her lightly.  
  
"Your lips are a little blue... Let's go someplace warm... How does Honeydukes sound?"  
  
"Brilliant," she sighed.   
  
She made sure her coin pouch didn't fall out of her coat pocket in their snowball fight and they walked back towards the village, their paces close together to keep warm. It was bustling, kids playing in the snow, tugging each other towards warm locations, and she even spotted some students nestled in cold benches, snogging the daylights out of each other.   
  
"Merlin," Scarlett sighed as they entered Honeydukes, a blast of warm air hitting them. It began to thaw out her frozen appendages instantly, and she released Cormac's hand, flexing her fingers. "Oh, Ginny wants to meet us for lunch at the Three Broomsticks," Scarlett informed him as they maneuvered around a group of third years digging through a candy jar entitled Mysterious Marmalades.  
  
"Did she say what time?"  
  
Scarlett shrugged. "Just whenever we get there, I suppose."  
  
They surveyed more than just the chocolate this time, and Scarlett swore she was going to be sick to her stomach by the hundreth sample. When she tasted a blood pop, she scrunched up her nose, trying to scrape her tongue along her teeth as she struggled to get the taste out. "Who eats this stuff?"  
  
"That would be vampires and kids that always get punched in the face." Scarlett eyed him to see if he was serious, but it seemed he was. She set the pop in the rubbish bin beside the jar, seeing that there were a lot of them in there. What a waste.  
  
Her eyes darted to the next select few. "I don't know if I can try anymore. I might explode."  
  
He grinned, but agreed. "Do you want any chocolate?"  
  
"I don't even want to think about chocolate," she admitted. "Merlin... is it your goal to make me so stuffed that I don't want to go anywhere?"  
  
"Is it working?" he asked, buying himself some Chocolate frogs, but she declined his offer to buy her Milk Duds.   
  
"Very much," she answered.   
  
They walked out into the bitter cold once more, and Scarlett tucked her chin into the collar of her jacket, keeping her neck warm. They went to the shop closest to them, Zonko's, and Scarlett was relieved to find it was just as warm as Honeydukes had been, if not more so, because of the mass amount of bodies shoving around.   
  
Cormac took her hand and held it tightly as they walked around the shop, determined not to lose each other. Scarlett giggled at poor Seamus as some sort of joke exploded in his face, causing his hair to singe. "Woah!" Cormac laughed, halting and pulling her out of the way from a pair of fourth years that were stuck doing a jig and seemed unable to stop.   
  
"What is happening to them?" Scarlett questioned.  
  
"Probably touched the display that promised bad things would happen if they touched it," Cormac shrugged. "They'll be fine." He didn't seem too concerned as they continued their jig around the shop. They tested a few things, finding a few ridiculous pranks that Cormac insisted would be great to use around the castle to unsuspecting first years.  
  
"Does everyone prank the first years?" Scarlett questioned.   
  
"Oh, yeah. It's an initiation, sort of," Cormac shrugged again, giving her an easy smile. "You're lucky you didn't get stuck in that mess."  
  
"Well, I sort of did," she reminded him. "Blue hair the first day." He winced. "But other than that, not really..." She gave him a grin. "What pranks were done to you your first year?"  
  
"Well... there was the time I was walking to Defense... And suddenly I was hanging from the rafters with my underwear exposed and everyone was walking by, laughing, and no one was helping me. Big blow to the ego."   
  
She giggled, biting her lip as he shot her a look. "Sorry... it is kind of funny. And I'm sure your ego suffered greatly."   
  
He nodded, sighing as he patted his chest, above his heart. "Couldn't look at a bird for nearly three whole weeks. It was rough."  
  
"I'd imagine," Scarlett smiled. They only stayed for a few minutes more, and before they headed out into the open, they paused at the doors, deciding on a location.  
  
"We could head to the book shop," Cormac offered. "It's right next door."  
  
Scarlett laughed quietly. "You're only picking stores that are right next to each other so that we won't be outside long, aren't you?"  
  
"Maybe," he said vaguely.  
  
"The book store sounds lovely. I'd like to see if they have anything on the recent discovery of Bulbous Powder being used in Wolfsbane." He looked as though he had no idea what she was saying, so she ammended. "I'd like to check out the periodical journals."   
  
"Uh, sure." He grabbed her hand again and then pushed open the door, taking the first place of wind for himself and then they darted out into the snowy abyss, and when they got to the bookstore, Scarlett couldn't help but giggle.  
  
"We look like we're running from Death Eaters or something," she giggled out, brushing a few snowflakes out of her collar and hair. "Merlin, they get everywhere, don't they?" He tossled his own hair and then took the Gryffindor scarf off of his neck, wrapping it around her neck twice.   
  
"Warm?" he asked, and Scarlett breathed in, the smell of his cologne infiltrating her senses.  
  
"Thank you... but you'll be cold-" she began.  
  
He cut her off with a shrug, and an easy grin. "Better me than you." He was sweet, truly. The bookshop was nearly empty, as many kids seemed more concerned with going to the sweet shop or joke shop than the bookshop. And Scarlett recognized most of the students as Ravenclaws.   
  
"I love the smell of a book shop," Scarlett admitted quietly, her cheeks flushing as he glanced towards her. "It's so... old." Her fingers ran across a few display books, biting her lip at the gold and leather covers. Books were so beautiful, sometimes.   
  
He let her roam, following, but not hovering, and Scarlett realized she hadn't really been in a book shop before, besides to buy her school books, and even then... it was very precise what she needed to buy.   
  
But this was purely for fun. Her eyes scanned titles she didn't even know existed, and she paused at a group of books dedicated solely to the Healing Arts. Some she had never seen before, some were currently resting in her trunk. Merlin... There were so many. She selected one about Elven Healing magic, flipping the book over to read the back before she scanned the table of contents, her brow furrowed.   
  
"You're very intently reading these," Cormac commented.  
  
Scarlett flushed, having forgotten he was there. "Sorry... This must be so boring."  
  
"I like watching you. You're excited. You light up." She bit her lip, glancing up at the many books and replacing the book to the spot she had taken it from. She pulled down another, seeing that it was Dark Healing Magic. She quickly put it back on the shelf.   
  
"There are so many books," Scarlett admitted. "The library doesn't even have some of these."   
  
"Have you ever been to a Muggle bookstore?" Cormac questioned suddenly.  
  
Scarlett shook her head, glancing towards him. "Why? Do they have more?"  
  
He grinned. "A million more." She found that hard to believe. "I don't think you'd ever leave." Her gaze traveled around the small bookshop. There couldn't have been over a thousand books here. "We'll go, if we ever get the chance. But security's a bit tight with the war and all..." She had to agree with that. "I think you would enjoy it... a lot."   
  
"What could they possibly have millions more of that Wizards don't?" Scarlett questioned. "There are so many different facets of magic-"  
  
"Well, there's all that Muggle science, and what they teach in their schools... and then there's fiction. It's sort of... like fake worlds." She frowned slightly. She hadn't ever heard of it. She almost thought he was making it up. "Millions of books about worlds that they create in their heads."   
  
"That sounds fascinating," Scarlett admitted. "And none of it's true?"  
  
"Nope," Cormac shrugged. "Well, they don't think it is. Some of it is true, to us." Interesting. She only admired the Healing books for a few more minutes before moving towards the other displays, admiring a few things such as silver bookmarks, stirring rods for tea - because apparently it was really common to drink tea while reading.   
  
Scarlett didn't. She found doing other things while reading distracting.   
  
She bit her lip as they came to what Cormac dubbed the WonderWitch books. Books on how to date a man. Scarlett rolled her eyes at them and turned to face him. "We just spent an hour here, didn't we?"  
  
He shrugged. "It's warm."  
  
She winced. "Sorry... You should have told me."  
  
"I like spending time with you," he admitted. "Even if you aren't paying attention to me, you're still there." It was incredibly sweet. "Do you need to stock up on any ingredients or anything?"  
  
She did. She was running low on all of her potions ingredients, and she needed more parchment. So they bolted out of the store, finding that the wind had dimmed down a bit and the snow wasn't falling as hard. She was still giggling, though, on how she knew they looked.  
  
Ridiculous. Once she bought the required things she needed, only spending a total of a galleon, she began to watch him shop, which was equally as interesting. He was very precise about the way he selected his materials. He didn't browse. He simply grabbed what he needed, made sure that they were the correct size, amount, or whatever, and put them into the basket. She found she was fascinated by it.   
  
They headed directly to the Three Broomsticks, where Ginny spotted them and waved them over to a table containing her and Julian. Scarlett couldn't see Dean.  
  
"Did Dean leave?" Scarlett asked, sitting across from the red-head, Cormac across from Julian.   
  
Ginny shrugged. "We got into a fight. No big deal." Oh. They seemed to always fight. "Neville asked me to the Christmas Party, as friends, but he thought differently."   
  
She ordered a chicken based meal, not really knowing what it was, and they all laughed, and talked, and told each other stories, and when Cormac's hand rested on the small of her back, she didn't really mind. And when Ginny raised an eyebrow, obviously noticing, Scarlett did her best to ignore it. She didn't want to make the girl tease her incessently about Cormac. She did it enough already.  
  
And judging by the secretive smile she was sending Scarlett, she was in for a whole new round of it.   
  
"Merlin, we really need to start looking for dresses," Ginny said suddenly. She stood suddenly, fishing out a few sickles and putting them on the table. "Come on, Scarlett-"  
  
"I got it," Cormac said easily, shoving the sickles towards Ginny and placing a single galleon on the table, to pay for all four meals. Julian didn't protest to the purchase, and Scarlett rose, giving Cormac a rather passionate kiss - much like the one from the Great Hall just the day before. "Buy something that makes you feel like a goddess," Cormac requested quietly.  
  
"Thank you," she said, in reference to his buying her lunch, but before he could reply, she picked up her bags with her potions ingredients and parchment, and followed Ginny out.  
  
"You're totally shagging," Ginny said simply.  
  
"No," Scarlett said seriously, firmly, but not loud enough so anyone could overhear. She didn't want anything possibly traveling to the Dark Lord. "We haven't."  
  
"You're lying to me!" Ginny insisted. "That kiss back there was the kiss of someone who has shagged her boyfriend-"  
  
"Is it?" Scarlett asked, worriedly. She frowned. "You don't think... Oh, Merlin, I didn't know that!"  
  
Ginny glanced at her in surprise as they entered a small shop, lined with robes and shoes on every wall. And dresses. Merlin, there were so many dresses.  
  
"Well... I mean, it was a pretty passionate kiss. Merlin, you really haven't shagged him?"  
  
"Obviously not," Scarlett blushed. "We're not that far yet... He's quite hesitant too. Apparently he doesn't think I'm ready for that."  
  
"Are you?" Ginny pressed.  
  
Scarlett shrugged. "I... I certainly wouldn't mind. I want to, of course, but... I respect Cormac's decision. If he doesn't think I'm ready, perhaps he's seeing something I'm not aware of."  
  
"Or he's actually really bad in the sack," Ginny admitted. "And he thinks that if he sleeps with you, you'll notice and he'll be bullocks up."  
  
Scarlett doubted that was a real expression, but understood. "Well... I don't think that's the case. I mean, if so, all of his other girlfriends would have been glad to be rid of him, don't you think? And Parvati seems to think he's rather good in the sack, as you say."  
  
"Hello, ladies," a voice suddenly interrupted. Scarlett glanced towards the source to find a rather severe looking woman dressed in bright blue robes, with gold embroidery, her eyelids a matching blue. It was all very bright, and reminded Scarlett of colorful birds. She certainly resembled a bird. "Is there anything I can help you with?"  
  
"We're looking for dresses, for a Christmas party tomorrow night," Ginny answered. "And Scarlett here needs a gown for the Minister's Ball on Christmas Eve."   
  
"Oh! Absolutely... Let's see... with your skin tone and your hair... oh, and you're beautiful eyes... I don't think I've seen someone with your eyes on such a fair palor before... Let me sketch a few things up for you, dear, while you're browsing."  
  
"First, we'll shop for the party tomorrow," Ginny stated firmly, taking Scarlett's arm and pulling her towards a rack lined with dresses that couldn't go farther than Scarlett's knees - and many of them were shorter. "Mum's sent me some money to buy something and I'm going to buy something nice." She began to look through them, as the shopkeeper began to sketch onto her parchment littering her desk, and Scarlett sighed, but followed Ginny's example. "You don't have anything, do you?"  
  
"No," Scarlett admitted. "It has to be different than the dress at the Ministry?"  
  
"Yes!" Ginny gasped, as though it were offensive to even think not. Oh. "The Ministry ball is so much more formal than the Slug Club..." The shopkeeper suddenly disappeared to the back room and Ginny suddenly gasped, holding up a light blue dress out to Scarlett. "You have to try this one on... oh! And this one!" The next one was white. And Ginny kept passing her dresses, some that were actually pretty colors, and some that were not.   
  
"What about this one? For you?" Scarlett questioned suddenly, pulling a light green dress from the rack and holding it out to compare it to Ginny's lithe frame. "It makes your eyes light up."  
  
"Oh! This is gorgeous! I'm going to try it on... with this black one."  
  
"You should try on this one, too," Scarlett admitted, holding up a dark green piece with black trimmings. It combined both dresses.  
  
"Oooo, this one is exactly my style," Ginny commented. "Madame Trilling? May we use the changing rooms?"  
  
"Of course!" the shopkeeper called from the back.   
  
Ginny pulled Scarlett towards a hanging curtain and pulled it open. There was a trifold of mirrors on the inside and Scarlett felt a bit nervous about this. "I'll go first, since I have three, and you have about fifteen... And you'll take a bit longer, because you've got a super hot boyfriend we need to impress, and hopefully charm into bed-"  
  
"Ginny!" Scarlett scolded. But to answer, Ginny snapped the curtains shut and began to change on the other side.   
  
"You know, if you want, I could talk to him," Ginny offered over the sound of rustling fabric.   
  
"No, it's something I think best if we work it out ourselves."  
  
"You're wearing his scarf... or did you buy a Gryffindor scarf?"  
  
"Oh, yes, he gave it to me to wear... I should have returned it... He must be freezing. Do you think he's still at the Three Broomsticks with Julian?"  
  
"Keep it," Ginny insisted. "Give it back when we see him next. It'll smell like you and it'll drive him wild when he wears it."   
  
"Is this a technique you use with Dean?"  
  
"No, but I did use it with Michael Corner. Works like a charm."  
  
Scarlett frowned. "Works... what, exactly?"  
  
"Oh, we found an abandoned classroom and jumped each other's bones." Scarlett jumped at the abruptness and absolute seriousness of Ginny's tone. She didn't even seem embarrassed by stating it so boldly. The curtain pulled away suddenly and Ginny was standing in front of her in the light green dress.  
  
Scarlett's face immediately wrinkled. "No. Doesn't flatter you... all the wrong bits are being accentuated."  
  
"Agreed," Ginny said, turning to look at herself in the mirror. "Pretty color, though." Scarlett agreed. The curtain shut with a snap. "So... I heard the entire argument with Hermione."  
  
Scarlett groaned, shifting slightly as she clutched the large amount of dresses to her chest. "Ginny..."  
  
"You were right in what you said to her. Scarlett, you're anything but an idiot for dating Cormac McLaggen. I mean, he's bloody eye candy." Scarlett thought of the blood pops, and couldn't help but grimmace. Bloody and candy should never have been in the same sentence. "And he's so sweet to you. So sweet that I'm scared to say that he cares more about you than Lavender does for Ron, and you know how Lavender is about Ron." Everyone knew how Lavender felt about Ron.   
  
"She didn't deserve some of the things we said," Scarlett admitted quietly. When the curtain opened, Ginny was sporting the black dress. "Too dark, I think. It makes you look too pale."  
  
"Again, I agree." The curtain shut again. "But she was trying to tell you how to live your life. I mean, come on, if anything, you're not only older, but smarter, and also super in tune with yourself, and your boyfriend. I mean, you know when to quit, right?"  
  
"I haven't felt the need to yet," Scarlett admitted. "It was a little overwhelming at first, but when I got the hang of my schedule, I'm fine with it. And adding Cormac to the mix, it hasn't really made things any more difficult. He respects that I'm busy, and that I won't always have time for him - he knew that going into this. But we spend as much time together as we can, and even if it means we're doing homework or falling asleep in the Common Room, then it's time together..."  
  
"Harry slept in the Common Room, too, you know," Ginny spoke up, and Scarlett heard a tumbling noise as she tripped. "I'm okay! Under the Invisibility Cloak. And apparently you two were a bit cute when you finally woke up-"  
  
Scarlett flushed. "Well... It couldn't have been comfortable, and... he should have been in his own bed-"  
  
"If Harry, the boy that only just recently discovered girls and his first kiss was described as wet because the girl was crying, says that it was cute... it had to have been hella cute, Scarlett." Scarlett cleared her throat, shifting. "I mean, he's absolutely blind to romance. Wouldn't know it if it hit him right in the forehead, which I'm sure it has more than once."  
  
Scarlett snorted. "Ginny..."  
  
"So... anything juicy happen this morning?"  
  
"No," Scarlett said honestly, but flushed a bit at the memory. "He wouldn't wake up. I woke him up, and we promised to meet at the courtyard. Pretty ... un-juicy." Ginny flung the curtain aside, raising her eyebrow. "I like that one."  
  
"You woke up wrapped in a hot man," Ginny said, completely ignoring the comment on the dress. "And nothing happened?"  
  
"Did you think something should have?"  
  
"Shag him in the bloody windowsill!" Ginny cried. "Merlin, or at least something close." She shook her head, but turned to face the mirrors. "I like this one, too."  
  
So it was decided Ginny would get that dress and then Scarlett was shoved into the curtained room and she was forced to start changing. All of the dresses were rather revealing, and left her feeling exposed, but it seemed to be the fashion. Merlin, she didn't like this much leg showing.   
  
"I told you, he doesn't want to shag me yet."  
  
"Then he needs to stop being such a girl," Ginny sighed. "But I suppose that is sort of romantic. Wanting it all to be special and everything... Who knew McLaggen could be romantic?"  
  
"I did," Scarlett insisted. She thrust open the curtain, turning slightly for Ginny. "These are awfully short, Ginny... I'm not sure if I'm okay with it-"  
  
"Everyone's going to be wearing the same length, just about. Mine's that short... Hermione's is that short." Oh... Well, Scarlett supposed if everyone was doing it... "But that's the wrong color. Too vibrant. You want to put more focus on you, than the actual dress... Try the white one."  
  
"Which one? The lace or the-"  
  
"Lace, I think it's going to be a winner," Ginny predicted. Scarlett nodded and shut the curtain, changing as commanded. "And he bought lunch. And when that whole article came out, you told me he bought you another bag of your favorite chocolate-"  
  
It was true. Scarlett swept her hair out of the way as she slid the white lace dress on, the sleeves going down to her wrists, made of lace as well. She felt exposed, but at the same time... it felt very nice. She liked it. She turned to zip up the back, catching a glipse of her scars and wincing.   
  
"He did," Scarlett spoke. She never wanted Cormac to see the extent of her scarring. They were everywhere, ugly... she couldn't have it. He would find her absolutely revolting if he saw. "It was very kind of him."  
  
"It was sweet... And how you two fell asleep in the window by the stairs... Why are you two so cute? And why is Dean such a jerk?"  
  
Scarlett opened the curtain, tugging at the bottom of the dress. "This one is a little shorter than the others. And I don't think Dean's a jerk-" Ginny's eyes were wide as she stared at Scarlett. "He's just a bit jealous that Neville asked you. He's always jealous of other guys noticing you, it seems."   
  
"Scarlett, you have to buy that," Ginny murmured. "Legit, have to buy it. I don't think Cormac will take his hands off of you." Scarlett flushed, glancing at the dress. It was entirely lace, with a nude colored slip inside so that none of her skin showed. It was beautiful. "Dean's a jerk. Plain and simple. But I love him, so I deal with it."   
  
"You think so?" Scarlett questioned, turning back to the mirrors, looking over herself. It was still really short and she could see a few scars on her knees.   
  
"Absolutely. It accentuates the curves, the waist... You have to buy that." Scarlett agreed and didn't even bother with trying on the others. And by the time she emerged from the curtain, Ginny had a pair of white shoes, flat shoes, for her to pair with the dress. "Wear these with them. They're only half a galleon." And when Scarlett checked the tag of the white dress, she found that it was only three galleons. "Dresses on the rack are much cheaper... Your ballgown, however... it's going to be a bit pricy. It's handmade." Oh. Well, she had plenty of galleons. Severus had ensured that.   
  
"Alright, dears, let's see..." the shopkeeper... what had Ginny called her? came bustling out of the back of the shop with a small pile of green and blue fabric in her arms. "Try these on... And we'll make adjustments if we haven't found the right one in the end." The pile of fabric was thrust into Scarletts arms and Ginny took the white dress and shoes before shoving Scarlett into the changing room once more. The curtain was slammed shut.   
  
Scarlett was immediately relieved to see that they were more conservative, being that they were floor length. As she stepped into it, she nearly fell over trying to get it over her hips. Merlin, it was difficult. But after a few tries, it finally yanked over her body and she pulled it all in place. It was sky blue, and when Scarlett opened the curtain, her face said it all.  
  
"Absolutely not," Madame Trilling insisted. "No blues. If you had blue eyes, maybe, but it makes you look much too... No blues. Forget the rest of the blues. Try on the greens."  
  
"Agreed," Ginny answered.   
  
Scarlett nodded, closing the curtain shut around her and peeling off the blue gown. The next two were blue as well, and then it was a dark emerald green. Scarlett liked the color, but it reminded her a lot of Slytherin house.  
  
And it was unflattering, Scarlett thought. The sharp edges near the waist made her hips look flared. And she supposed the point of many dresses was to make you look slimmer - though she didn't see the point in that. Everyone had different body shapes.   
  
"No," Ginny said immediately. "You're a Gryffindor, not a Slytherin. I think a lighter green, without being too light. You kind of look like a Christmas tree, too."  
  
A Christmas tree. Well, that was something Scarlett definitely wasn't going for. She ducked back into the curtained room, biting her lip as she eyed the selections. Some were much too dark, still. But one... one caught her eye. It was a light green, yet it wasn't, due to a thin black layer that gave it an almost darker tone. She decided to try that one on, and as she slid it in place, immediately became aware of the only issue - she absolutely loved it otherwise.  
  
"I... I'm not sure about this one," Scarlett admitted, her voice carrying through the curtain. "My back's exposed, and... I don't want my scars-"  
  
"Oh, that's simple," Ginny insisted brightly. "Just put on a glamour. No one will know." A... oh, she supposed that would work. She cast the glamour charm, making sure that any exposed piece of flesh was scar free. And then she opened the door.  
  
Ginny and Madame Trilling gasped.   
  
"Do you like it?" Scarlett questioned. "I love the color on me, but I'm worried it might clash with my hair-"  
  
"No, it's gorgeous," Ginny breathed. "Scarlett, look at you!" Scarlett turned, facing the mirror and was surprised, as well. The gown was form fitting, until it reached her knees, where leafy green and black material gathered until it reached her feet. She looked gorgeous, she truly did. Ginny was on her feet suddenly, pulling at Scarlett's hair. "You're hair is too long to keep down... Oh, I have the perfect thing in mind. Scarlett, you have to get this dress. You'll regret it forever if you don't," Ginny insisted. "Cormac would absolutely lose his mind if he saw you in this."  
  
"I don't think that's a good thing," Scarlett giggled. But she turned slightly, assessing the dress on her as Ginny held her hair up. "But I really do love it..."   
  
"I'm thinking instead of straps, we make it a sweetheart neckline," the shopkeeper spoke up suddenly. "And I will reduce the price from eighty nine to eighty five for that alternation." Oh, that was kind.  
  
"Definitely sweetheart," Ginny agreed. "It's too leafy otherwise." It was leafy, but Scarlett liked it, especially how the black fabric gathered along her front to make an almost leaf pattern. "Oh, Scarlett..."  
  
"I shouldn't be spending so much on a dress I'll only wear once in my life-" Scarlett began, suddenly balking at the idea. Eighty-five galleons was nearly four-hundred and thirty pounds.   
  
"But you'll never be happier with another dress than you are with this one," Ginny insisted. "I can give you gold make-up... some blush to give you color... Please, get this dress."  
  
It wasn't difficult to break Scarlett. "Oh, alright," Scarlett insisted. "But only because I know you're right and I won't fall in love with any other dress as much as this one." She felt Ginny release her hair and turned in the gown again, letting out a sigh. "It really is beautiful. Do you feel like it's too revealing, though?"  
  
"Not at all. And besides, you're young. If McGonagall wore this on the other hand..." The image made Scarlett giggle. "It's perfect. Now we have to find some shoes and some jewelery. I don't have much jewelery you can borrow, but I'm sure there will be something in the shop next door you can buy."   
  
Scarlett changed out of the dress, and Madame Trilling took it to the back before Scarlett had even begun changing into her normal clothing, to make the alterations. By the time Scarlett had changed back into her jumper and jeans,the smiling shopkeeper had her gown in a bag, ready to be taken from the store. "You wouldn't happen to have any shoes that may match, would you?"  
  
"Oh, of course, dear!" the woman insisted, gesturing for Scarlett to follow her. "Do you want heels? Oh, of course you do. With a dress like that!"  
  
"I've never walked in heels before," Scarlett admitted nervously, especially with the gold pair of shoes the shopkeeper picked up, the heels nearly as tall as Scarlett's hand was long. Oh, Merlin. "So, perhaps not something so... tall."  
  
"These!" Ginny declared, picking up a pair of heels that were nearly half the size of the shopkeeper's, but in a similar style. Scarlett felt like she wouldn't die in those. "They're perfect. And it'll give you some height - Cormac's so tall compared." Scarlett took the shoe from the other red-head and felt the strappy material, which would leave her toes exposed.   
  
"These are nice," Scarlett admitted. "I don't know if I could walk in them, though... Let alone dance-"  
  
"Try them on," Ginny insisted. So pushy. Scarlett sighed and slipped off her warm boots, biting her lip as she felt along the back of a chair for support, slipping each shoe on her feet. They were charmed to automatically size themselves and Scarlett found they were much more stable than they looked. She wobbled slightly, but straightened and found that they weren't too bad... she would just have to get used to them.   
  
"I like them," Scarlett said carefully. "And if I wear them around for a few hours before hand... I think I'll be fine-"  
  
"Oh, these have cushioning charms built in," the shopkeeper began, setting down the deadly shoes and fussing over Scarlett. "So you won't ever be uncomfortable in them. And they are unbreakable, unscuffable, and if you do happen to step on your date's foot, it won't hurt - plush charm in the soles." Oh, that was very handy. "I'll give them to you for five galleons."  
  
"Five?" Ginny echoed, surprised. "But the tag says-"  
  
"A discount," the shopkeeper insisted. "For your first ball, and such a beautiful dress."  
  
"Oh, thank you," Scarlett said warmly. "You're so kind."  
  
"Oh, think nothing of it," the shop keeper insisted. "Let's get all of this bagged for you. You'd best begin your jewelry shopping before the trip is over. It's such an awful thing to save for last minute, you know. My cousin, Sarah, was invited to the ball last year. . . saved everything for the week before, too, you know. I daresay she nearly went half dressed. Such a disgrace-" She passed the bag to Scarlett, full of the items purchased, and Scarlett quickly counted out ninety-four galleons, giving the woman a smile of thanks. "Now, you be sure to come back, do you understand?"  
  
"Thank you," Scarlett said sincerely. "You've been a massive help."  
  
Not truly, but she still appreciated it all the same. Ginny giggled, taking Scarlett's arm. "Come on," the girl insisted. "We've got to find a bracelet."   
  
"That's it?" Scarlett asked, surprised. She had been under the impression Ginny was going to pair her with much more.  
  
"Oh, yes, I don't think we should buy a necklace." But she didn't elaborate as to why. Probably a fashion choice that Scarlett truly didn't understand. She followed Ginny, anyway, listening to the girl explain what would look good with the dress until Scarlett selected a golden bracelet that looked as though it were made from many golden leaves. And it made her... well, it was pretty. And it matched the dress. And it made her feel like she was formal enough for a Minister's ball.   
  
When they caught up with Cormac, who was coming out of the Quidditch shop, he spotted them and gave her a quick kiss before trying to peek into her bag.  
  
"No," Ginny said firmly. "You can't look at the dress. Just the color-" But she did that herself, pulling a small section of the fabric from the bag and showing Cormac the green. "And she's wearing gold jewelry. Is that enough information?"  
  
Cormac grinned, nodding. "More than enough. Can you at least tell me about it?"  
  
Scarlett laughed quietly, shaking her head. "Absolutely not. Ginny would have my head."  
  
"Damn right. Oh! And we got a Slugclub dress for her, too. It's white."  
  
"More revealing than I would have liked," Scarlett shrugged. "But Ginny overruled me." Cormac's eyes widened, almost bugging out of his head at her statement. He cleared his throat as Scarlett glanced to Ginny in alarm, but Ginny was smirking.   
  
He cleared his throat again, as if he was choking. "Revealing?"  
  
"Don't tell him anything," Ginny warned. She glanced over Cormac's shoulder suddenly and Scarlett followed her gaze to Hermione, glaring daggers at Cormac's back. "That's my cue... She's my date for Christmas shopping and... sorry, Scarlett, she's been asking me for weeks-"  
  
"It's alright," Scarlett promised. "Have fun."  
  
"If you even try to look, McLaggen, you'll wish you weren't born," Ginny threatened. It was a little harsh. Afterall, it was just a dress.  
  
"Weaslette," Cormac said in parting.  
  
She just smirked and flounced over to Hermione, taking the girl's arm and dragging her off to whatever shop they needed to go to. Scarlett spotted many bags hanging from Cormac's arms, which meant that he had done his fair share of shopping while they were gone. "So, do you have any shopping to do?" Cormac asked, glancing towards her bags once more.  
  
"Uh, sort of. Just a few things-"  
  
"Then we can shop for them." She bought only a few small things for Ginny, and when they got to Honeydukes, she began to grab handfuls of Chocolate Frogs.  
  
"Who in the world are you buying these all for?"  
  
"These are Harry, Ron, and Ginny's favorite," Scarlett informed him, a small smirk on her face that he couldn't see because of her hair. She grabbed another handful, pouring them into the basket. "I owe the Weasleys, and them so much... They took me in, fed me, clothed me... And I want them to know that I appreciate it."  
  
"Bloody hell, but about a hundred chocolate frogs?"  
  
"More like fifty," Scarlett admitted. "Like I said, they really like them."  
  
"I'll say..." After she purchased the frogs, she admitted that was all she needed to buy.  
  
"Well.... we can walk around a bit. To the castle? Have you ever walked the castle grounds?"  
  
"Not really. Once, but that was all, in October."  
  
"Well, we'll walk," Cormac stated and he linked his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him and they began their walk, their steps almost tripping over each other because of their proximity. It was mostly in silence as they continued, Scarlett staring up at the massive castle. It was one thing to see the castle from the inside, but the sheer size of the thing was... breathtaking.  
  
"It's so beautiful," she murmured as she stood in front of one of the towers, staring up at the snow littered stones that stretched on for meters above them. "How does anyone ever want to leave?"  
  
"They don't," Cormac said quietly. "And when you do, you always come back at some point... Matches, your kids get hurt in a Quidditch match, or some giant snake is on the loose... You know, looking back, Hogwarts really hasn't been that safe."  
  
And though she knew he meant it in jest, as something that was simply poking fun at the idea of Hogwart's standards of safety, she couldn't help but think of Tyler. If the Dark Lord ever managed to infiltrate Hogwarts... if he ever managed to get inside, she knew they would find Tyler.   
  
"Shit, Lettie... that wasn't what I meant..." Cormac seemed to backtrack, catching onto her souring mood. "I just meant-"  
  
"I know," Scarlett interrupted, giving him a soft smile. "It's alright... How long do you think the war will go on for?"  
  
"The first war was about... fifteen, sixteen years, really. I'd say it'll be a few years, at least." She didn't even want to think about that. She had been living in it for nearly five months and already she wanted a break, a good nap - maybe a vacation. Something. "But... don't think about that. You have all of break to relax, and celebrate with the Weasleys, and the ball... I mean, it's not something you should worry about. You deserve to not think about it for a few weeks."  
  
"It'll just be there when I start to think of it again," Scarlett reminded him quietly.   
  
"It's getting late... why don't we head to dinner?" She agreed, but hesitated, pulling the scarf off from around her neck. "It's still cold-"  
  
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't even think... you must have been freezing." She stood on her toes, wrapping it around his neck.   
  
"But you'll be cold," he muttered, leaning down slightly so that they were very near kissing.  
  
"Then you can keep me warm," her voice carried lightly, her eyes meeting his. He swallowed hard, before nodding and kissed her gently, warming her lips. And when he pulled away, he put his arm around her neck, as if acting as the scarf himself. And he grabbed the bags from her hand, almost as if it were natural.   
  
"But, first a stop at the Common Room."  
  
She agreed. It was quiet, again, and she enjoyed the silence. There was so very rarely any substantial silence in the castle. She gathered up her bags from his, making sure that they were all hers, before she darted up to her room, locking her things into her trunk, which was already fully packed and warded - she didn't want anyone to accidentally ruin her gowns.   
  
She met up with Cormac back in the Common Room, a few straggling second years playing exploding snaps or chess. "So first years are basically given no rights in Hogwarts," Scarlett summed as they walked down the stairs towards the Great Hall for dinner. "No Quidditch, no Hogsmeade-"  
  
"And an earlier curfew," Cormac nodded. "Like I said, you're lucky to have missed it. It was hell."  
  
She didn't doubt it. "The... The Dark Lord will not be calling me until after break," she said after a few moments of silence. "He is expecting me to be spending my evenings with you."   
  
"With me?" Cormac asked, confused.  
  
She cleared her throat, flushing slightly. "Yes... so, it would be awfully suspicious if we weren't to disappear for a few hours together. I don't know who is watching us."  
  
"Oh!" Cormac said suddenly. "You meant... oh-"  
  
She gave him an embarrassed smile. "I was going to actual go to the Room of Requirement and work on a few memories."  
  
"And I guess I'll join you, then," Cormac shrugged.   
  
"I wish things weren't this complicated," Scarlett sighed. "That we could be... normal. And not have to worry about the war threatening either one of us-" She sucked in a sharp breath, before releasing it slowly. "I hate this war."  
  
"I think everyone does," Cormac muttered. "Except you-know-who. He's pretty ecstatic." She hummed in agreement.   
  
That evening, the Room of Requirement wasn't the usual cell charmed to be cozy. It was warm, a small fire in the opposite side, and a loveseat with a small table with a pensieve.   
  
"So, what exactly are these memories for?"  
  
"The Dark Lord," Scarlett admitted. She took a deep breath. "I need you to tell me anything you can about your father's job."  
  
"For that..."  
  
"Pillow talk," Scarlett said quietly. "Yeah." He took a deep breath, before nodding.   
  
"Right, dad's got a big plan on funding more internal affairs," Cormac said after a moment. "You know, like working on making the departments stronger, so that they aren't susceptible to curuption. Each member of the Ministry is going to be forced to take an analysis, to rank them depending on who they support - Order or Death Eater. And... that information is expected to be made public, if the Wizengamot supports it."  
  
Scarlett frowned slightly. "But if you rank closer to Death Eater than Order... will legal action be taken?"  
  
"It depends," Cormac admitted. "On the number of Death Eater allies. If a majority are Order, probably. A majority Death Eater? Well, he's already got the Ministry in his grasp, then. There'd be little we could do about that." She hummed in agreement and leaned against the back of the loveseat, her legs tucked under her as she gazed at him, completely relaxed. "The goal is to have departments that are completely strong in their beliefs - that don't fight or disagree. So.. all Order staff, or all Death Eater staff."  
  
"And would they be fired if not?"  
  
"Transferred, dad says, to whatever they're qualified to work for."   
  
"Huh... that sounds like the Ministry's rennovating itself."  
  
"None of the public knows about it. They can't know about it. If public got word, they would start to not trust the government."  
  
"That's smart, though," Scarlett said quietly. "Especially when you don't know who to trust." The look he gave her clearly told her it pained him to do so. She gave an apologetic smile. "I'm surprised there's been no half-breed rights talks. I mean, especially with Remus Lupin as a professor here - one of the best, I've heard - and with talks of the creatures of the forest starting to take sides-"  
  
"It's not something people really care to talk about," Cormac shrugged tightly. "They're more worried about saving themselves than people society doesn't really consider human."   
  
"But, they are human," Scarlett said softly. "Or they were at somepoint. Perhaps not vampires, they don't really have a transformation, nor centaurs, or giants, but Veelas do, and werewolves, and banshees. They're involved in the war as much as us."  
  
"I suppose that's why they're siding with you-know-who. He's promising them some rights, at least."   
  
"It's sad, isn't it?" Scarlett sighed softly. "When you're desperate, you'll believe anyone."  
  
"Yeah," he agreed.   
  
She straightened suddenly, pulling at the memory from her head with her wand, and Cormac leaned forward, surprised by her sudden demeaner. "I don't want to forget it. Memories are best to work with if they're fresh," she told him quietly. She set the memory into the pensieve before pulling another from a vial in her pocket.   
  
She poured it in as well and took a deep breath. "I'll be right back," Scarlett said quietly. "I have to merge them, change facial features, vocal infliction, and make it seem less awkward and sudden... it's really the difficult part. . ."  
  
"Wait-" But she had already leaned forward.   
  
It took a bit longer than she expected, having to simulate and nearly create an entire scenario from scratch of her laying beside Cormac on a bed, a sheet covering them. It was... weird. Almost like their relationship was in an alternate reality. But she supposed that was how it was going to have to be, if Cormac was to stay safe, with an emotional distance.   
  
It was better that way. It was better if the Dark Lord believed she didn't care for Cormac... because she did. And she found, that every day no matter what, she cared for Cormac more and more. It scared her, at the same time it excited her. Was this what it felt like? To like someone so much, you dreaded the thought of them leaving? She hoped so, because it was the only way she could explain it.


	42. Unbreakable Vow Revealed

She tugged at the bottom of her dress again and Ginny slapped at the hand, shooting a glare at Scarlett as she put on some mascara. "Stop playing with it," Ginny insisted. "It's fine. You look fine."   
  
Scarlett sighed, but held her eyes open as Ginny gopped on the make-up, but knew she wasn't putting on more than mascara and lipgloss. Ginny insisted she wouldn't need it and the real make up would be for the ball. Scarlett didn't want to know what that entailed.  
  
"Now, do you feel beautiful?" Ginny asked, leaning away from her. Scarlett nodded. "Do you look beautiful?" Scarlett glanced at the mirror in the fifth year girl's dorms. She nodded once more. She did. Her hair was long, straight, and almost silky smooth. And the white dress was truly beautiful - like snow. "Then you can go and meet your date downstairs."  
  
"Are you sure you don't need help?" Scarlett asked, almost biting her lip but knowing it would ruin the lipgloss, so she refrained.   
  
"Nope, I've learned how to do it by myself. Six boys in the house, you know. They aren't good for anything." Scarlett giggled. "Besides, I'm pretty much ready, I just need to grab my lipgloss."  
  
"Alright, I'll tell Neville you're on your way down," Scarlett said quietly. "Thank you, Ginny."  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Ginny said absently as she touched up her mascara. Scarlett took a deep breath, before slowly climbing down the stairs, spotting Cormac by the fireplace, his hands shoved into his robes, his back turned. His hair was neatly combed, slightly curly, and gelled.   
  
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered, his legs casually draped over the arms of a chair. "Scarlett?"  
  
Cormac whirled around, and he promptly paled as they made eye contact. "Hey," she greeted, with a small smile. She didn't know how to act. She had never done something like this before, really. Worn a dress to something important. Taking someone's cloaks was... was a small thing. This... this was a party with Slughorn's Potions colleagues. A chance to make connections in the real world. And to dress up properly in front of Cormac, but she was trying not to think about that part.  
  
"You look..." He was approaching her, looking her over, but not leering. It was more in an amazed way. "Absolutely gorgeous." Scarlett flushed, biting her lip, forgetting Ginny's warning about doing so. She ducked her head, glancing down at her dress.   
  
"It's a little revealing for my taste-"  
  
"It's fine," Cormac insisted, cutting her off. She lifted her gaze, still a bit red. "You really do look beautiful."  
  
"I like your tie," she said quietly. "You look very handsome."  
  
"I always look handsome," he winked.   
  
"You can't go outside of here wearing that!" Ron protested, sitting up in the chair. Cormac rolled his eyes, offering her his hand, which she accepted. "It's not right, that isn't-"  
  
"Oh, Neville?" Scarlett said, turning to glance towards the nervous boy, a bit red himself. "Ginny said she'd be right down."  
  
"Er, right-thanks."  
  
Cormac chuckled. "Come on, let's go." She spotted Harry, pointedly not looking towards her, dressed in his own robes, waiting for Hermione. There was a few unhealthy looking red spots on his cheeks and Scarlett suspected embarrassment.   
  
Once they were on the other side of the portrait hole, Cormac stopped her, biting his lip as he looked her over once more. "Bloody hell, you really are gorgeous, Lettie."  
  
She gave a shy smile, glancing down at her dress. "Thank you... It's a little much, but... I really do like it-"  
  
"So do I," Cormac admitted. "But, if I snog you, we may never make it to the party, so I'll save it for later." Later. She was okay with that. But he took her arm, tucking it under his own, and pulled her close to him. A drifting scent of his cologne caused her to inhale slightly and she sighed quietly. "You okay?"  
  
"I love your cologne," she admitted. "It has a unique scent, I don't know how to describe it."   
  
"Oh... uh, it's something my mum always gets me." She giggled, earning a half-hearted glare from Cormac. "Don't you laugh. It'd break her heart if I didn't accept."  
  
"I like it," Scarlett countered. "I always have."  
  
He was very pleased with that notion. She loved how he responded to compliments. She wondered if he felt as warm as she did when he complimented her. She hoped so. It was a good thing, to feel that warmth, right?   
  
"Are you ready for this?"  
  
"I'm a bit nervous," Scarlett admitted. "All of Slughorn's business colleagues, his friends, very important people from all over the world are going to be here... I don't know if I should even be here. It's going to be a tad mental."   
  
Cormac snorted. "You're joking right? If anything, you have every right to be here, especially at Slug Club. Everyone knows I only got in because of my dad. I'm piss poor at potions-"  
  
"No, you're not," Scarlett countered lightly. "You're actually pretty decent. If I ever need a potion, I trust you to make it well." The hall was silent though, save for the portraits talking to each other about whatever it was that portraits talked of day in and day out - she imagined that it couldn't be much. "I heard that the ex-Head of the Auror Department is showing up, too. Apparently Mr. Moody was a skilled potioneer."  
  
"That guy is the definition of creepy," Cormac muttered. "My defense teacher two years ago. Bloody scary - I mean, it wasn't the actual guy, but I guess it was pretty close. If anyone can give you nightmares-"  
  
"Is he truly that scary?" Scarlett questioned, glancing towards him. "I mean, I heard that... well, I heard that he was actually very skilled."  
  
"Oh, no doubt about it. Half of the Death Eaters that were in Azkaban were there because of him," Cormac informed her. "He's a paranoid bloke, always shouting 'constant vigilence' and whatnot. I think you'll get what I mean when you actually meet him... Uh, try not to stare."  
  
"Stare?" she echoed, but he didn't elaborate and Scarlett didn't press.   
  
Despite the castle being a bit chilly, Slughorn's office was actually quite warm, and large. There were multiple fireplaces lit, a Christmas tree, and a few more religious decorations for other religions littering the room. Scarlett wasn't sure what those were called.   
  
There were a lot of people, as well, people Scarlett didn't recognize in the slightest. People dressed in very nice robes, dressed very elaborately, and promised that they held a high social standing in the world. "I don't believe it's you, Miss Prince! Looking beautiful this evening, as always!" Slughorn cried. And then he turned to Cormac. "And Mister McLaggen, doing your father proud. You look just like him when he was your age. Do come in, there are drinks over by the fireplace, or one of the bellboys will have something for you I'm sure..." he trailed off, brought to the attention of more guests and Scarlett giggled, pulling Cormac in the direction of the drinks, of which he passed her a glass before accepting one himself.  
  
"To Christmas," he toasted, tilting the glass towards her. Scarlett was unsure of what to do for a moment, until she copied him and their glasses clinked. He winked and then sipped from the glass.  
  
"To Christmas," Scarlett agreed. It was a bubbly concoction that made her nose tickle as she sipped from it, and then Cormac suddenly took her arm.  
  
"Ready to mingle?"  
  
"I'm not so sure, but I suppose I have to anyway," Scarlett admitted. "This is a wonderful opportunity to make contacts in the Wizarding World, especially for after the war, don't you think? Maybe I'll meet a few Healers at St. Mungos... though it is doubtful. Slughorn seems the type to befriend more of the miraculous discovery type."  
  
"I suppose that is one upside," Cormac murmured. "Though I usually hate these kinds of things. Dad makes me attend them all the time and after a while, you meet too many people and have had too many champagnes. Can't keep names straight."  
  
Scarlett giggled and was about to reply when a man stepped into their path, perhaps in his late fifties, with a kind twinkle in his eyes that reminded Scarlett a lot of Dumbledore. "Mr. McLaggen! It's been such a long time..." The man glanced towards Scarlett, smiling in a way that showed interest. "My name is Bartholomew Belby, the inventor of Wolfsbane potion."   
  
Scarlett hastilly switched hands for her champagne glass and shook the man's hand, but he stopped her, instead kissing her knuckles. "Scarlett Prince, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"Oh, my, I'm afraid I've heard all about. Nasty media. I try to stay away from it, but you can never succeed, I'm afraid." He released her hand and grinned widely at Cormac, showing off a gap between his two front teeth. "Got yourself quite a catch here, Mr. McLaggen. I'm sure your parents are quite proud."  
  
"Oh, absolutely. Scarlett's top of her year. And being Professor Snape's daughter, she knows her fair share of potions." She had never heard Cormac praise her so much, to other people especially, and it made her flush as Mr. Belby glanced to her in surprise.  
  
"Is that so? Well, I'm curious as to what exactly you're learning about in your potions class. Horace won't tell me a thing these days. Always so secretive about his plans. Can't even ask if he's going to be available for tea next week." It seemed such a horrid thing to the man. Scarlett was unsure how to respond. "When I was your age, oh... we were learning Poppy Newt Draught."  
  
"They outlawed those a few years ago," Scarlett informed him. "The scent once the Poppy seeds were added was said to enduce hallucinations if inhaled. They did not deem it safe enough to teach in Hogwarts aged children. I did hear, though, that they are starting to bring it into Mastery programs, to educate about the harmful effects."  
  
"Really? I hadn't heard it was outlawed. How odd-"  
  
"But to answer your question, we're studying Bulbous Powder and Wormwood concoctions. Very simple combinations but -"  
  
"Extremely volatile once the ratios are not correct," Mr. Belby tutted, shaking his head. "Such a shame. I believe that was in my fifth year. The education system has truly begun to turn for the worst."  
  
"Professor Slughorn has begun to give Scarlett extra projects," Cormac quickly interjected. "Didn't you say last night that you had to ... reverse brew a ... -"  
  
"Reverse brew a Draught of Marigold and Rosewater Calming Essence and a Felix Felicis, using a different method than the one it took the brew it," Scarlett supplied when Cormac was drawing a blank.   
  
"I'm impressed. Most students don't even understand the concept of reverse brewing until they're near completing their Mastery program," Mr. Belby stated, and Scarlett could hear true admiration in his voice. It made her flush darker. "Tell me, have you ever been assigned to reverse brew Wolfsbane?"  
  
Scarlett found herself frowning, shaking her head. "No, not yet, at least. I would very much like to." She suddenly brightened. "I'm curious though, sir, when you make it the proper way, it has a series of combined ingredients that must be put in at precisely the exact same time. Would that be the case for reverse brewing? Sometimes, two ingredients mixed together make up a different ingredient, and I'm not well versed on if the potion would recognize it for a combination or a different ingredient all together."  
  
"Oh, I can't say I've ever tried it, myself," Mr. Belby admitted. "However, I'll get back to you on it. I have a few students under me at the moment for the Potions Mastery and they've been assigned to reverse brew it for their final. Extremely difficult potion, you know. I'll send you the results, shall I?"  
  
"Oh, that's..." Scarlett didn't expect that. "I would love that, sir, thank you."   
  
"Oh, it would be my pleasure. Well, I know you don't graduate for another year, but give some thought into the Potions Mastery program," Mr. Belby said warmly, procuring a card from his pocket. He passed it to Scarlett. "I would love to have you under my tutlage. If you're anything like your father, you'll be worlds above in the Potions business by the time you graduate."   
  
It was glowing praise. Scarlett blushed slightly. "Thank you, sir... I'll consider it. Did you teach Professor Snape?"  
  
"Oh, absolutely!" Belby cried, laughing. "He hasn't told you? Yes, I'd imagine not. Always the brooding sort and never liked to share much information. Passed the exam with flying colors. One of my best, I'd say. Absolutely no surprise he ended up the youngest Potions professor here-"  
  
"Oh, there's Julian... uh, if you'll excuse me a moment," Cormac said suddenly, and Scarlett spotted the handsome man heading into the party, a gorgeous blonde on his arm that Scarlett vaguely remembered from Cormac's year, a Slytherin. As soon as he was gone, Mr. Belby's demeaner changed slightly.  
  
"Fantastic boy," he said, watching her closely. Scarlett began to nod in agreement when he continued. "You haven't met my grandson, Marcus, have you?"  
  
She had the displeasure. He had attended the first meeting and had slurped down his dessert so loudly and crudely that she couldn't help but wince at the reminder. "I have, sir, a lovely boy," Scarlett stated politely. "You must be very proud-"  
  
"Quite proud," he interrupted. "If you and Mr. McLaggen should ever have the misfortune of splitting, I am certain Marcus would be quite keen to take his place."   
  
"Oh... that's..." Scarlett had no idea what to say to that. "That's a comfort, then... If you'll excuse me, sir... it was lovely to meet you, but I think I spot my father wishing to have a word... Good evening."   
  
She was almost grateful as she quickly, but not too quickly, stepped away from him, and aimed her step in her father's direction, of which he noticed her immediately. He was standing with his back to the wall, an annoyed expression on his face, and a glare aimed towards the snogging children under the mistletoe.   
  
"I see you've met Master Belby," he drawled, his eyes flitting to the man that was now making his way towards another set of Slug Club attendees. "He's dull, don't you find?"  
  
"Very interesting, actually," Scarlett admitted. "Though he did try to set me up with his grandson, I think... I made my escape then. I did not know he was your Mastery Professor."  
  
"I despise the man and he is aware of it. He is not worth the dirt on my shoes. I would not have mentioned it."  
  
"He says you're the best student he's ever had," Scarlett admitted to her father. She surveyed the room. "Are there many people you know here?"  
  
"All of them. It is my job to know." Severus pursed his lips as another couple stepped under the mistletoe. "I have been asked to survey to see who Slughorn keeps close." It was like he felt the need to explain to her that he would rather be anywhere else but making sure no students did anything furhter than kiss under the mistletoe. "You are to find out intentions among the guests, and relay the intentions back to me by night's end."  
  
Suddenly his assignment seemed much more meaningful. It hadn't been Dumbledore's assignment, but rather the Dark Lord's. Why did the Dark Lord take such an interest in Slughorn? And why did Dumbledore for that matter? Harry had only briefly mentioned that Dumbledore wanted something from him, something to help bring down the Dark Lord, but from what Scarlett knew of the host for the evening, Slughorn was very domicile.  
  
"Yes, sir," Scarlett said after a moment. "I... I don't think Mr. Belby is very close with Professor Slughorn. He mentioned that it is difficult to make tea appointments with him. Professor Slughorn is very hesitant."  
  
Severus simply sniffed. "Your boyfriend is looking for you. Go to him."  
  
Scarlett nodded immediately, not even spending a moment to think, before she found Cormac in the growing crowd of the party. "Hello, Julian," Scarlett greeted the man that was with him. "You look very smart this evening."   
  
Julian winked, his arm wrapped around his date's own. "Had to to keep Serafine from ditching me." Serafine. Scarlett tried to remember the last name. Serafine... she wasn't sure. Scarlett didn't like not knowing.  
  
"Scarlett, this is Serafine Nichols. Nichols, this is Scarlett-"  
  
"Prince... Snape," Serafine said cooly, her gaze drifting over Scarlett in a critical way. "We're never sure what you go by."  
  
By we, Scarlett assumed she meant Slytherin house. "Oh, Prince is fine. It's on my birth certificate, after all." Scarlett gave the beautiful woman a polite smile.   
  
Still, Serafine didn't seem very friendly and she held Scarlett's gaze for a moment before she calmly looked towards Julian. "Let's find someone else to talk to, Julian. With any luck, you may find yourself stuck under the mistletoe with me by night's end."  
  
"In that case, we should walk in the general direction of it, should we?" Julian grinned. "See you later, mate," Julian said in parting.   
  
Once they were gone, Scarlett blinked for a second before glancing to Cormac, who looked as confused as she felt. "I didn't know they were dating."  
  
"They aren't," Cormac shrugged.  
  
"I don't think she liked me."  
  
"I don't think she did, either," Cormac admitted. "Come on, there's bound to be someone interesting to talk to here... Maybe you'll friend an absolute genius."  
  
Scarlett doubted it. So they continued and Scarlett met many fine people, including a vampire named Sanguini, who she very happily discussed the uses of different bloods in potions.  
  
"So, you're saying the blood type changes the toxicity of a potion?" Scarlett asked, surprised. "I've... I've never heard of such a thing. Stronger potions tend to have O?"  
  
"Yes," he intoned, and Cormac's grip on her arm tightened slightly, protectively. "The use of the many different blood types has made or broken many Potion Masters in my time. Use the wrong type and it could prove fatal."  
  
"I'm not very well versed in blood types, but I'm curious as to animal bloodtypes would be the same - that is, if they even have blood types. Obviously, you cannot use chicken blood to substitute dragon's blood - for various reasons, but would there be different types of dragons blood? Not only by breed, but by-"  
  
"I've never feasted upon a dragon," Sanguini cut her off, a smiling showing his teeth, and the thin fangs that extended from them, "but if I shall, I'm certain there will be coverage in the news. As for other animals... my coven and myself do not feast upon anything that can be used in potions ingredients. It damages the magical properties of the blood."  
  
"How does that happen?" Scarlett asked in wonder. "It's not like you taint it or anything. That would be silly. All you're doing is feeding."  
  
"No, I would not call it tainting, but rather... a transfer of magic. When we feed, we draw the magic from their bodies, and it ... in effect, makes the blood less potent afterwards."  
  
Oh. That sounded absolutely fascinating. It must have shown on her face, because Sanguini regarded her as critically as Serafine had, but instead in an academic way. "You do not find my presence intimidating?"  
  
"I... Should I?"  
  
"Sanguini's clan has been in exile for nearly a century because many witches and wizards found him... undesireable company," Cormac explained carefully, as though they were on cautious territory.  
  
"Oh... No, I don't find him intimidating. Fascinating, on the other hand... I've only studied vampires briefly, over the summer. I regret to say I do not know much..." Scarlett gave the dark haired, pale man an embarrassed smile. "I don't quite understand why people are so terrified. I mean, in some form, I do, but I also feel like it is in large part misunderstanding. Not everyone's bad... just as not everyone's good."  
  
"How insightful," Sanguini stated sharply. "If you'll excuse me. I believe I've spotted an old friend of mine."   
  
"Oh, of course," Scarlett said in surprise.  
  
"A pleasure, sir," Cormac said in parting before he practically pulled Scarlett away from the man. "He gave me the chills."  
  
"He was perfectly polite," Scarlett insisted as they kept walking, and she wasn't paying too much attention to exactly where they were headed. It wasn't until Cormac's suddenly pulled her towards him did she realize she was about to run into someone. "Oh! Sir, I'm so sorry," Scarlett rushed out, a small ounce of fear appearing as she spotted a severely disfigured man standing there. It looked as though part of his nose was missing, and a large magical eye was tight onto his skin - perhaps he was missing an eye too. And by the looks of the scars, from the same injury. "I wasn't paying attention."  
  
His appearance truly was frightening. This must have been Mad-Eye Moody. She could see what Cormac meant by not staring. She glanced at her glass quickly, before looking back up to him. "Sorry."  
  
His magical eye swept her up and down as his normal eye held her gaze, making her feel a tad queasy. "Do I know you?"  
  
"Scarlett Prince, sir," Scarlett said brightly, offering a hand. His magically eye merely looked towards it, and he made no move to grasp it. She swallowed, dropping it. "It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"Who do you work for?" It was a very sudden question and Scarlett glanced at Cormac, who was tense as he gripped her arm.   
  
"She works for the Order," Cormac answered as he saw her confused look. Oh, that's what he meant. Mad-Eye's gaze turned to Cormac and he huffed slightly.  
  
"I don't believe you." The magical eye... it couldn't see through her dress, could it? She suddenly felt very exposed. If he could see her Mark... he wouldn't make a scene of it... he couldn't. That would just get her killed. And Severus... And Tyler would... no.   
  
"I don't understand why you would have any reason to mistrust me. We just met..."  
  
"Nor should I have any reason to trust you," Mad-Eye returned sharply. "Watch your back, girl. If I think you're doing something illegal, I won't hesitate to take you to Azkaban."   
  
Scarlett's eyes widened in alarm, but Cormac was already pulling her away. "Don't listen to him. There's a reason people call him Mad-Eye. Look, there's Harry-"  
  
Scarlett had spotted him, too, and she enthusiastically embraced her brother, before reaching for another champagne glass as someone walked by with the tray. "Harry! You look absolutely dashing!" Her fingers touched his bow tie and she giggled as Harry seemed to flush in embarassment. Scarlett's gaze turned to Hermione, who was shifting slightly in nervousness. "You too, Hermione. Really pretty. I love your dress."  
  
"Thanks," Hermione stated almost emotionlessly, but Scarlet detected - at least she thought she detected - some remblance of happiness with the compliment.  
  
"You've just missed a few other guests, but I'd imagine you'll be hounded" Cormac grinned, glancing towards where a few of the elderly folks were calling it an evening. The clock told Scarlett they had been moving around for little over an hour. "Saviour and all."  
  
Harry groaned. "Scarlett, please tell him to stop talking about things I don't like hearing."  
  
"Oh, then you should probably know I plan on snogging-"  
  
Harry's hand shot out and covered Cormac's instantly. Scarlett let out a peal of laughter, tugging Harry's arm away. "He's just joking, Harry. You know that. You mustn't let him get to you." Cormac was chuckling, and Hermione just looked annoyed. "You should really try the champagne, Harry. It tickles your nose."   
  
"How many of those have you drank and I haven't noticed?" Cormac asked suspiciously.  
  
"Two... this is my third," Scarlett smiled. "Why?"  
  
"Because I think you're getting a little tipsy... why don't we slow down a bit?" Cormac glanced at Harry, as if exasperated, before he took Scarlett's champagne glass. "Right, we'll leave you be, Potter, Granger... Scarlett, I think I spotted Neville and Luna somewhere... maybe by Blaise."  
  
"Oh! Lovely," Scarlett agreed. "The inventor of Wolfsbane's here... and so many other amazing people. Try to meet everyone. I don't think we'll get through everyone by the time the evening's over... Bye, guys!"  
  
"Yeah, definitely tipsy," Harry stated, watching her worriedly, but Cormac kept an arm in her own, and pulled her in the direction he saw the two friends and the enemy-turned-maybe-friend-but-more-Scarlett's-friend.   
  
When they were brought to the quietest corner of the room, Luna, Neville, Ginny, and Blaise were sitting there, in what looked like a careful conversation.  
  
"You really must start looking for plumpy-wing-bats," Luna informed Blaise. "Daddy says finding them is good for your health, and they're supposedly good luck. You can find them in the suburbs of large cities. I'm planning a trip to London this break to se if I can find any."  
  
"Uh, I'll keep an eye out, yeah," Blaise said, glancing to Ginny and Neville like he had no idea what to do. So he did ask her to the dance... Scarlett had wondered. When he saw Scarlett and Cormac, he seemed to sigh in relief. He abruptly grabbed Scarlett's arm turning her so that they could have a private conversation. "She's driving me mental, Scarlett... I have no idea what she's talking about."  
  
"Me neither, but I'm sure she'd be quite happy to explain. Wrackspurts are actually real, she showed me herself. And I don't know if the others are..."  
  
"It's like her dad's gone loopy and has been brainwashing her with this nonsense," Blaise insisted under his breath. "Why did you convince me to do this?"  
  
"I didn't, you convinced yourself. Just try to indulge her. She's truly a sweet girl... Please?"  
  
He grunted, and she knew he would comply, before he spun back to face the group. Cormac raised an eyebrow, as if asking her what it was about, but Scarlett just rolled her eyes to give him the signal it was nonsense. "Luna, you look lovely," Scarlett insisted. "Where did you get that dress?"  
  
"Oh, Daddy made it for me. I'll pass along that you like it. Maybe he will love to make one for you, one day." Scarlett gave her a warm smile. "I don't think Blaise likes my dress." Blaise choked on his champagne as he sipped from it. "He almost looked ill when we met in the Great Hall."  
  
"It's lovely, Lovegood, I told you so," Blaise said after he had stopped sputtering.  
  
"Oh, yes, you did... I'll have to ask Daddy to make you one, too."   
  
"Oh, no, I'm good, Lovegood," Blaise said immediately. "Uh, thanks anyway."   
  
Ginny snorted, and gestured around them. "We're hiding from important people because they're demanding."  
  
"Honestly, like any of us are going to actually be using these people for anything," Blaise muttered. "Half of us aren't even that interested in potions."  
  
"Being apart of the Slug Club is supposedly an honor," Neville said carefully. "Recognized around Britain. So... if attending means I get better chances at other programs, why not?"  
  
"All we do is have dinner and he asks about our parents or guardians or our studies," Cormac pointed out. "If that's an honor, then we're all Harry Potter."  
  
"I think I'll pass on that one," Blaise stated seriously. "I don't want that much responsibility on my shoulders." Scarlett had to agree. Saving the entire Wizarding World from an oppressive regime, well... she didn't quite envy Harry for a second. Worry, however... she definitely worried for him.  
  
"I was actually surprised he asked Hermione," Ginny admitted. "I didn't know they were ... interested like that."  
  
"Oh, they came as friends," Luna smiled brightly. "The Marple-plumps told me that. Though I do suspect there will be some romance between them sometime. They are quite close, and I think Hermione fancies him."  
  
Ginny glanced at her in surprise, and Scarlett knew that the girl's feelings for Harry hadn't disippated over the last few months, despite her relationship with Dean. "What makes you say that?" And her tone... Scarlett detected a bit of heartbreak. Not complete heartbreak, but ... defeat.  
  
"Oh, the Marple-plumps only surround someone with unreturned affections. Blaise has Marple-plumps all over him. And Ginny, you do as well. And Hermione. Harry has a few, but not that many Marple-plumps, so it must not be that strong. And there all over this room, though I suspect for different reasons. They show up for just about anything. Unreturned hate, love, friendship..." Luna grinned brightly. "They really are the most dangerous of creatures. When they come near alcohol, you spill all of your secrets."   
  
It sounded ... well, like anyone that got drunk. "Wish they had firewhiskey at this place," Blaise mumbled to them. "Then it would be really interesting."  
  
"Scarlett's already gone tipsy."  
  
"In my defense, I haven't had alcohol in ... a very long time," Scarlett said, giggling slightly. "Not since the summer. And it was at the twin's doing... and I probably shouldn't have even come near it with them around."  
  
"Bloody hell, you skip the baby steps, don't you?" Blaise snorted. He downed the rest of his champagne glass before having it refilled magically. "Anyone meet beady eyed Mad-Eye."  
  
"Ran into him," Cormac admitted. "Still bloody weird, you know? A Death Eater did his job so well that we were all coming to him after class to ask him Defense questions."  
  
"He was pretty good at teaching us, you have to admit," Neville pointed out. "I think we learned more in that class than we should have."  
  
"He was who Barty Crouch Jr. impersonated?" Scarlett asked in surprise. "I... I didn't know that. I guess I didn't make that connection. He must have been taken extremely off guard. Or there was a very big fight, because he does not seem like the type to give up easily."   
  
"Oh, no. I hear that it took about six Death Eaters to bring him down, and even then he still was struggling." Scarlett's eyes widened in surprise as Ginny continued. "Huge news when everyone found out the truth. I don't think anyone was more surprised than him. That man's a legend."  
  
"When my parents went mad, he was the one that got there and detained Crouch and the Lestranges. I heard single-handedly. He retired from the Auror Department four years ago. Nymphadora Tonks was his last student. Hadn't even been out in the field until years before that," Neville told her.  
  
"Anybody who was anybody was captured by him," Blaise shrugged, sipping from his champagne. "Just short of you-know-who himself, and I'll bet he dreams of it every night."  
  
"Oi! Get your filthy grubs off of me!" was exactly what the party needed to be crashed. Before Cormac could retort something, there was shuffling and suddenly Scarlett spotted Draco Malfoy being dragged into the room, held by Argus Filch.   
  
"Bloody hell, what's he doing?" Blaise muttered. He passed his glass to Scarlett and surged forward, but paused when Severus Snape stated that he would take Draco back to his dormitory. But the exchange was off, and it was obvious that Severus was very, very angry with Draco.  
  
And as soon as they were gone, Scarlett spotted Harry slip out.  
  
"What was that about?"  
  
"Something's wrong," Scarlett murmured. She frowned slightly, glancing to Cormac, who was still looking towards the door.  
  
"What?" Neville chimed, but quietly, so as not to be overheard. "You don't think they're up to something, do you?"  
  
"No," Scarlett said quietly, turning back to face them, but she wasn't so sure. "Maybe I should... follow, make sure they're alright-"  
  
"Harry went after them, it'll be fine," Ginny insisted.  
  
"Draco was covered in marple-plumps," Luna said brightly.  
  
Scarlett glanced at Luna in surprise, but didn't know how to comment. Ginny was right. It would be fine. And once Harry got back, or her father, it would be alright. She had to report to her father before she retired for the evening anyway.   
  
They didn't return to the Common Room for another hour and by then she, much to Cormac's amusement, had snuck in another glass and a half of champagne, so she was just slightly tipsy. Her father still hadn't returned, nor had Harry.   
  
She would have to see Severus in the morning, before she boarded the train.   
  
"I can't believe Harry just ditched me," Hermione was ranting. It was nearly empty besides those of the Gryffindors that had attended the party, and they were all seated around the fire, worried about where Harry might have been.  
  
"He's in his room," Neville answered. "Ron says the cloak's still there and he hasn't come in." But Neville didn't really need to say much because Ron popped up behind him, joining them around the fireplace. Scarlett settled beside Cormac on the chair, nervously twisting her hands together.  
  
Was her father working on something with Draco? Why didn't she know? And did Dumbledore know?  
  
"Where's Harry?" Ron asked, confused to not see him amongst the group.  
  
"He's disappeared," Hermione muttered, tugging at her heels and casting them by the fire in frustration. "Malfoy showed up, gate crashing... Professor Snape took him away and Harry followed. He's no doubt got himself in trouble. Maybe even expelled. That's just what we need, and the Order needs. He can't even survive a year-"  
  
"He's fine," Scarlett insisted. "Severus may be angry, but he wouldn't expel Harry for following. I think anyone would be worried."  
  
"What do you think they're up to?"  
  
"I have no idea," Scarlett said quietly. Cormac gripped her hand tightly, in comfort, and she couldn't stop her brain from running through anything Severus had said that may have hinted at something. Not even the Dark Lord gave any hints.  
  
When Harry appeared, the portrait door swinging open very late at night, Scarlett stood, fidgeting slightly, feeling Cormac's hand on her own, stopping her from going too far - and stumbling into the table. He looked rough, confused, and seated himself heavily between Ron and Hermione on the couch.   
  
"Well?" Ron pressed. "What happened? They say you sort of disappeared."  
  
"I followed Malfoy and Snape," Harry said quietly. "I think he's a Death Eater." Scarlett felt herself slowly seat herself beside Cormac, biting her cheek. She had suspected, especially with his paling complexion and his apparent lack of sleep. "He kept talking about how he was chosen and... that he had to do something." Do something?   
  
"Did he say what?" Hermione pressed.  
  
"No... but Snape mentioned something... That he took the Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco." Scarlett felt her stomach drop. The... he couldn't have. The Vow was... it was permanent. Draco would live for a fair bit of time... and if Severus died, if Draco died? If either of them died, would the other follow? She wasn't sure how the Vows worked. She had never been subjected to them, afterall.   
  
"The Unbreakable Vow?" Hermione whispered, surprised. She sank back into the chair and Cormac squeezed Scarlett's hand, to signal that he had, too, heard.   
  
"What happens when you break an Unbreakable Vow?" Harry questioned suddenly.   
  
Scarlett cleared her throat. "You die," she whispered. Her fingers tightened around Cormac's as she dropped her gaze. "It's unbreakable, that's the whole point. . . You can't break it. Remember the Volatile Spell unit? The curse is already in you, the Killing Curse, embedded into the hands that were bound. If broken, it almost immediately triggers."   
  
"So whatever they're doing," Ron said slowly, his brow furrowing. "If they don't succeed, they're both dead... Well, bloody hell, I don't want to feel bad for the gits."  
  
"Scarlett..." Cormac murmured, his arm tugging around her waist and pulling her closer into his side.   
  
"No, he's right," Scarlett said quietly. "If they're doing something bad, it means they can't back out, even if they want to... And if they're ... Katie's cursing, yesterday... Why did you immediately suspect Draco?" she asked Harry quickly. "That was the rumor, anyway."  
  
"He was acting suspicious," Harry insisted. "He was carrying a package and-"  
  
"Have you heard anything?" Ron asked suddenly. "In your little meetings? About him? Do you know if he's up to something?"  
  
"This is the first I've heard of anything," Scarlett said quietly. "Which means I'm not meant to know. And if I'm not meant to know, I can't ask about it. Severus probably has no idea that you were looking into that moment, Harry... He wouldn't be so free with such careful information ... If it is severe enough that an Unbreakable Vow is warranted, then he definitely wouldn't. I wouldn't, anyway. And I'm not even under an Unbreakable Vow. Information is power. And if people get ahold of the wrong information, they can destroy you - kill you... You mustn't tell anyone, Harry," Scarlett said suddenly. "Only those you trust... No one else."  
  
"He hasn't told you if Malfoy's up to something?" Ron asked. "I find that hard to believe. You're his daughter-"  
  
"And it's also not my business," Scarlett returned. "I don't ask, he doesn't tell. It's how we work. Dumbledore on the other hand, is much more involved... I'd imagine. He has to know about it... but there's nothing you can do. If Severus knows, Dumbledore definitely knows, and that's all that you need to worry about. Dumbledore will handle it."  
  
"You don't know that," Harry insisted. "He's a snake-"  
  
"I know him," Scarlett said firmly, shooting a glare - something she hadn't really been practicing, but it seemed to make Harry's fight die. "Dumbledore will handle this. You will just get hurt, Harry, if you confront Draco... Please, don't. There's probably a reason."  
  
"You're friends with him," Ron insisted. "You can ask him about it-"  
  
"I'm not supposed to know, or I would have already known," Scarlett insisted. "If he tells me, he tells me, but I can't ask him about it. I don't know the terms of the Unbreakable Vow... It could be anything. Maybe that's why I'm not allowed to know. Maybe only certain people can know-"  
  
"So you do know something-"  
  
"I don't know anything," Scarlett pressed. "This is the first I've heard of it..." She stood, stepping out of Cormac's grasp. "I... I need to go to bed, I think... It's an early morning and... and I need to just-" She swallowed, nodding to herself, and she swept down, her lips touching Cormac's own for only a split second, before she nearly ran from the Common Room, trying to leave as quickly as possible so that she could get to the safe confines of her bed.   
  
Her mind was whirling with thoughts of her father... and that of Draco. Was he okay? Would he be? Unbreakable Vows were not made lightly. They weren't even considered unless it was suspected someone would chicken out of their task. And to protect Draco... would Draco back out? What was his... he couldn't have had a task. But... Scarlett supposed that it was more likely, as he got older. The Dark Lord couldn't have just taken an interest in her abilities in the school. No, he would definitely wish to use any resource he could - and that included Draco.  
  
Because that was all they were... Resources. It was all she was.  
  
Turning over, she dangled off the foot of her bed, her open trunk giving her a view of all of her books, books to take her mind off of her thoughts, but she couldn't. She couldn't just forget this. She couldn't just push it aside. This was her father. Her friend. . . he had almost been her brother. He was almost family.   
  
She needed to express her thoughts. Maybe, if she could organize them, make some sense of them, she'd be able to sort out a way to ... to counter the spell, or to ... to lessen the effects. But little could be done, if she didn't know the terms.   
  
Her diary. Severus said forever ago that he had charmed it, that it wouldn't reveal anything to anyone other than her. . . It was her best shot.  
  
She began to write.  
  
 _Unbreakable Vow_  
 _/     \_  
 _Draco Severus_  
 _Malfoy Snape_  
  
 _Terms: Unknown_  
  
 _Draco has a task. Harry doesn't know what, but suspects it involves Katie Bell's cursing. Kill Muggleborns? Possible. Threaten the safety of the school - more the Dark Lord's style. Method Two leads to Method One._  
  
 _When: Likely over summer. Draco has gotten considerably paler as the year as worn on - either lack of sunlight or illness. At Manor he was often called into Meetings. Initiated? Not sure. No way to check without possibly uncovering something I'm not supposed to know._  
  
 _Where: Malfoy Manor, most likely._  
  
 _Solutions: Look into Rune conversion, reverse spell casting, and potential internal magic bind ups that can be centered on the Unbreakable Vow, and not the magical core. Also, try to eliminate potential variables that could trigger vow - i.e. talking of it to them, letting the knowledge get out, etc. Keep to self and pray Harry doesn't tell anyone._  
  
 _Why was my father so vocal about the Vow... Was he aware of Harry listening in? Likely. Voices also echo in the cold corridors, espectially in winter. Also likely he wasn't meaning to talk too loud. Draco sneaking around on Seventh floor... Room of Requirement? Check room for potential hidden mission - would doing so break their Vow?_  
  
 _I'm unsure what the task is that Draco has been chosen for, but it is likely that he will not want to share it. If what Harry says is true, and I know anything about Draco, he will be proud of what the Dark Lord has chosen him for. However, it is very out of character for him to be interested in finding Tyler the beginning of the year - even working with the Gryffindors to find him - Neville, Ginny, and Seamus, and especially Harry, Ron, and Hermione._  
  
 _Dumbledore seemed intrigued by news of Blaise and Draco working with them... Perhaps looking for more Order members? Spies? Inquire with Severus or Dumbledore._  
  
 _Does this involve Tyler? Are they to be the ones looking for him? Has the Dark Lord assigned Draco to that task? It is also possible. By being friends with me... is that why Draco has become close to me these last few months? I felt as though we were friends, but he already knows the location of Tyler... he has helped me find him. He played an intrigal part in locating him - he had bank records that he helped eliminate from the Dark Lord's probing._  
  
 _I need to finish memories with Cormac, working on the "pillow-talk" conversation bits the Dark Lord is desiring. Don't forget the tone and intonation on the look alike memories, to match them as realistically as possible. Ask Cormac for a memory of him laying in bed - sounds creepy. Make sure I get it before we depart on train. Find the-_  
  
Scarlett paused, climbing out of bed quickly and reaching for a few books in her trunk, flipping up the self-defense book. She began to write once more.  
  
 _Find the key features the Dark Lord may want, emphasize them somehow. Perhaps silence in the background? Slightly more amplified voices. Make many versions and have someone review them, probably not Severus for obvious reasons - ask Ginny. She seems to be particularly outspoken. Consider obliviation with her consent, but do not do it if she says no. Obliviation may not be necessary, also... try to avoid Hermione. She is not happy, nor does she seem to be particularly happy with my lack of information in this Unbreakable Vow. Wake up earlier, and go to bed later, to avoid confrontation._  
  
 _I don't know why this turned into a to-do list. My head is about to explode with information. I've never had so much stored in there before. There are so many things I need to do in just a short amount of time. I need to do this, I need to do that. All very crazy and unorganized. Hopedfully, this diary/journal will help with that. To clear the thoughts in my head. Severus says that you may have the ability of replying? I should hope I haven't told you things you may whisper to others. Please, do not. I should not want to think about what would happen to Severus or Draco if anything were to get out._  
  
 _Please, keep my secrets, my thoughts, my nightmares and research within your pages. I can't let them get out like they did last time. More lives than a reporter are on the line this time..._  
  
 _Scarlett_


	43. Journey to the Burrow

If there was one thing Scarlett admired Luna Lovegood for, it was her ability to act as though no one found her odd - which she was, odd, but it only seemed to add to her character. 

"The train will be leaving the station in twenty minutes," she said with that knowing air, despite her tone suggesting otherwise. Scarlett clutched the carefully wrapped gift in her hands, peering over the crowds of chatting children - heading to the trains for Christmas. Nearly everyone was leaving this year - it was a time to spend with families. With the war, no one was sure how long they would have their families for, or their families would have them.

She couldn't see Professor Snape anywhere. 

"I suspect he's sleeping in. The students are finally leaving and he'll have some peace and quiet for a while."

She knew he hated being a teacher, but it was mostly that he hated being stuck with 'dunderhead' students. Scarlett suspected he liked teaching very much. Afterall, he wanted to teach her extra lessons.  
  
"Perhaps I'll have time to head to the dungeons," Scarlett said after a moment.  
  
Luna shook her head, a radish earring in her hands as she rubbed it against her fuzzy sweater. "Oh, no, you won't make it in time. He ususally comes to breakfast around this time. Last year he did the same. I suspect he has to make appearances so that no one thinks he's trying to escape on the train with the rest of the students."  
  
She almost sighed in relief as she spotted her father casting glares to the first year students dragging their trunks down the Grand Staircase. But when he spotted her and Luna, the scowl turned to a neutral mask and he cleared his throat.   
  
"Sir," Scarlett said, holding out a small roll of parchment. "I didn't have a chance to see you last night, but... I think you'll take some interest in my findings... I trust I'll see you soon, sir?"  
  
"More than likely," he intoned. He snatche the parchment from her hands, and glanced to Luna. "Good vacation, the pair of you. However, you will need to run to catch the train."  
  
"Oh, I've been telling her that all along, sir. Merry Christmas!" Luna said happily before grabbing Scarlett's hand and starting the sprint to Hogsmeade station. At least they didn't have their trunks - Cormac and Harry had already insisted on taking it to the station so they didn't have to worry about them.   
  
Scarlett's legs were burning by the time they reached the station with just a minute to spare, and they climbed aboard, giggling and laughing. "Merlin, we almost missed it," Scarlett laughed quietly.  
  
"Oh, of course we did. I do hope the threstrals will be alright while I'm gone. Hagrid is so forgetful."  
  
"I'm sure they'll be fine, Luna," Scarlett insisted brightly. "Shall we find Neville and Harry?"  
  
"Oh, I'm going to go find Ginny. But thank you for the offer. Try the second car to the left. You should find Cormac there."   
  
Scarlett couldn't even say Happy Christmas before the eccentric blonde was skipping away. She joined Cormac in a compartment full of his friends, friends she had become closer to, but she wouldn't consider herself close with any of them, except for Julian. "Nah, Serafine left before I could even get a good snog in," Julian sighed as she asked about her.  
  
"Oh, well... I wouldn't worry about it. She'll come around," Scarlett said with a smile.  
  
"I hope the bloke stays single, so he can moan and groan about how he couldn't keep Serafine interested in him," Cormac snorted. Scarlett giggled, smacking his arm lightly. "The git deserves it."  
  
Leanne, a pretty Gryffindor in Cormac's year, rolled her eyes. "He's still your best friend. And that means you'd have to listen to him moan and groan."   
  
Their banter continued for most of the train ride, and Julian pulled out a bottle of firewhiskey, to which Cormac gave her a cautioned glance for. Right, don't drink too much. But she did accept a shot and eventually the cabin turned from friendly banter to roaring in laughter and accusing the other of crimes that Scarlett deduced happen in the first year prank war.  
  
"I can't believe that was you!" Cormac insisted to Leanne.   
  
"You pissed me off," Leanne shrugged. "And when everyone assumed it was a fourth year, I was perfectly okay with that. I didn't want to lose house points."  
  
"Bloody hell. I always thought it was Flint or some bloke like that." Cormac seemed entirely shocked. But there wasn't much time to dwell on it, as the train was pulling into the station. It was a moment of excitement, as everyone was more than ready for the three weeks of break they had. Cormac helped carry her trunk down from the rack and she insisted she had it as she pulledi t off of the train, Cormac a few steps behind her.   
  
The platform was crowded, more so, it seemed than when they arrived to go to Hogwarts on September first. "Do you see the Weasleys?"  
  
Scarlett shook her head, glancing through and over the crowd to try and find some semblance of the red-head family she was staying with. "Not yet... Have you spotted your family."  
  
"Nah, they wait until the crowd dies down a bit."  
  
"Probably smart of them," Scarlett pointed out. "Oh!" Scarlett spotted Mr. and Mrs. Weasley kissing Harry's cheeks as they greeted them. "Found them. I'll see you Christmas Eve-"  
  
"I'll pick you up at the ward line. If what Dad says is true about the Burrow wards, it'll notify you of my arrival." Scarlett had a guess. "I'll see you..." He had a grip on her hand and as the crowd seemed to start to dissipate all at once, he tugged her back, so that she was facing him, and placed a light kiss to her lips.  
  
Of course, that lightness quickly turned into a tad more passionate than was probably publically appropriate. It was a bit like the Great Hall all over again. When she heard cat-calls, she instantly knew it was from the Weasley twins, and that effectively caused her to pull away from him.  
  
"I'll see you soon," she insisted quietly, her cheeks burning.  
  
"I'm definitely looking forward to it," Cormac grinned.   
  
"Me too," she admitted. And though she was nervous of the ball with the dancing and the other things she wasn't very good at, it would be a lot of fun. She leaned up on her toes and kissed him quickly in parting, before she hefted her trunk up and placed it, and Leo's cage, onto a trolley and then made her way towards the Weasley family.   
  
"And who, pray tell, dear Scarlett, was that handsome man sucking your face off?" the twins practically glowed, elated by such news.   
  
"Oh, uh... that's Cormac McLaggen," Scarlett admitted, flushing again as Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened in surprise.   
  
"McLaggen?" who she assumed was George inquired.   
  
"You mean the Ministry blokes son?" Fred returned.  
  
"Handsome lad that hasn't made it on the Quidditch team in all of his years-"  
  
"Though we heard from Harry that Hermione jinxed the position this year-"   
  
"So he didn't get the spot-"  
  
Ron glanced to Hermione, confused. Hermione was just sputtering, trying to find an excuse.  
  
"And talks more about Quidditch than anything else?"  
  
"I don't think we've had a conversation revolving solely around Quidditch in a while," Scarlett said carefully. "But yes... him."   
  
Fred and George wiggled their eyebrows. "So, he's interested in our little Scar?" They glanced at each other before grinning. "How interesting."  
  
"Indeed, when did this happen?" Mrs. Weasley questioned, and Scarett wasn't sure if she was upset or pleased with the news.  
  
"Oh, over-"  
  
"A week ago," Scarlett interrupted, glancing to her friends as a warning. They were out in public, where everyone could overhear. "Well, that's when he asked me to Hogsmeade. We've been friends since October."   
  
"Well, good for you two. Now, let's all grab the underaged ones. I'll apparate you, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, taking Scarlett's arm. Her trunk and cat were given to an Order member Scarlett didn't recognize. But he seemed rather familiar with her friends, who kept calling him Professor. She was quite sure he didn't teach at Hogwarts.  
  
Or hadn't since she was there at least.  
  
"Right, hold on tight, dear," Mrs. Weasley instructed before they were whisked away with the sound of apparation. When they landed, it was a marshy landscape and Scarlett could spot the Burrow just in the distance. This must have been the ward line.   
  
"Now, let's all get inside where it's nice and warm, shall we?" Mrs. Weasley said to the children that slowly cracked into existence around her. Scarlett was told she was staying in the same room as before and then everyone dispersed, going their seperate ways and getting warm before dinner, which was shouted to be almost ready.  
  
"In Mum talk that's twenty minutes from now," Ginny explained. "She's got to make a bunch of extra food for the Order members that are visiting for the meeting tonight. Whoever goes down there first has to help set the table."  
  
That wasn't the cast during the summer, it seemed, but perhaps Scarlett was so concerned with her reading and such that she didn't pay attention.   
  
"She spends a huge amount of time catering to the Order and they don't even show their appreciation," Hermione huffed. And she exited the room, not even glancing back to them.  
  
"She'll come around," Ginny insisted. "She's bound to. She can't just be mad at you for the rest of her life. Hermione doesn't like when people keep things from her, so she just is a bit put out right now-"  
  
"We never intended for her to resent us," Scarlett said quietly. "We just... She couldn't tell us what we could and couldn't do and maybe it was stupid of us to hide it from her, but... it wasn't with ill will. It was just for a bit of fun and ... to avoid a lecture... which we got anyway."  
  
"And it was fun," Ginny insisted. "I only wish I got in on the bet." She stood suddenly, taking Scarlett's hand and pulling her towards the door. "Come on, we might as well head down and see if she needs any help."  
  
It turned out that Mrs. Weasley didn't, as everything was already set in place by Nymphadora Tonks. It was a woman she had only heard about, from Eileen and other members of the Order, and had only seen once, on the platform as she boarded the train in September.   
  
This was the woman that had been Mad-Eye Moody's last trainee? She looked so small, frail, but incredibly kind and quirky - especially with her bumblegum pink hair. As soon as she spotted Ginny and Scarlett, she surged forward, grinning. "Wotcher?" She bumped into the table, however, and a few serving items jostled. "Merlin, sorry, I'm so incredibly clumsy. Can't even walk on my own two feet." She reached a hand out to Scarlett, shaking it. "So, you must be Scarlett. We've heard so much about you. And Ginny! Look at you! All grown up, it seems."  
  
"Just about," Ginny laughed quietly. "It's good to see you, Tonks."  
  
"Great to see you! Come on, I'm pretty sure Remus is around here somewhere." Remus Lupin? The Defense teacher that was also a werewolf. Scarlett was very intrigued by him. And she had heard nothing but great news. But she didn't know what he looked like.   
  
Remus, it turned out, was her boyfriend, and he was seated with Harry, listening to a conversation sullenly, before he abruptly stood and left the room. Scarlett recognized him immediately. He was the man that had taken her trunk and Leo. "Hello, Ginny... And you must be Scarlett."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Scarlett said politely, shaking his hand. "Harry doesn't shut up about you."   
  
Remus chuckled, releasing her hand and putting it around Tonks' shoulders. "No, I imagine not."  
  
"Remus is so pretective of Harry," Tonks grinned, her hair turning black. Scarlett nearly gasped in surprise. A Metamorphagus? That was so exciting! "Considers him pack."  
  
"Professor Lupin is a werewolf," Ginny told Scarlett brightly. "Absolutely wicked at knowing when you've been up to something you shouldn't be - can smell well. Tells on the twins all the time."  
  
"That's fascinating," Scarlett insisted. "I've never really known many werewolves... How long?"  
  
Remus was surprised by the question, and cleared his throat slightly. "Uh, since I was four... about."  
  
"You must be very comfortable with it, then," Scarlett said brightly. "I can't even tell... And with people like Greyback, you can always tell, because they always have it on the surface, and they're more animal than human."  
  
"Come on, Scarlett. I'm sure there's some more Order members you should meet before your dad gets here." She met Mundungus Fletcher, who was a very grubby man with a knack for stealing, and then she met the woman that was staying with Tyler and the Smiths - Hestia Jones.  
  
"You must be the boy's mother," Hestia spoke before she could even get Scarlett's name. "They talk so fondly..." She was an elderly woman, with deep set wrinkles and kind eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Scarlett insisted. "Thank you, so much, for protecting him."  
  
"Well, we aren't letting that little boy go to any dark forces. No way. Quite handsome. I hear you'll be visiting in the next few days?"  
  
"Three days from now," Scarlett nodded. "I'm very excited. I haven't seen him in... a very long time."  
  
"No, I'd imagine not," Hestia sighed.  
  
"DINNER!"   
  
Mrs. Weasley's voice was so loud that Scarlett nearly jumped out of her skin. "Sit with me," Ginny insisted. "It's going to be a tad packed."  
  
And it was. The twins sat at her other side, and Harry sat besides them, with Ron and Hermione filling in the seats that were open. There were more people stuffed into the room than Scarlett guessed could normally fit.   
  
"Scarlett McLaggen," the twins tried out nearly halfway through the meal.  
  
"Oh, my, that really does sound awful, doesn't it?" Scarlett giggled. She passed the carrots, thinking of the name. "A bit of a mouthful, really."  
  
"Well, at least you two aren't serious so quickly-" Mrs. Weasley began.  
  
"Serious?" Ron snorted. "They've been bloody snogging for three months behind all of our backs."  
  
"Actually, I found out a week after. Told him to take care of her, or I'd take care of him," Ginny spoke up, smirking at Ron's mouth opened in surprise. "Honestly, it wasn't that difficult to tell. She blushed everytime they were near each other in the Common Room, and they were always hyper aware whenever any of you three were near."  
  
"And when I found out, it was actually super obvious," Harry shrugged. "I really had to have been blind. But I'm surprised Lavender Brown kept it secret. She practically has to tell everyone everything."  
  
"Oh, Lavender's absolutely terrified of Scarlett," Ginny grinned, glancing to Scarlett as Scarlett squirmed slightly, wondering how she could change the topic. "Won't even sit close to her. And barely is able to sleep in the bed beside her. I think she learned her lesson-"  
  
"Two broken noses and a broken jaw, Ginny, is nothing to be proud of," Mrs. Weasley scolded.  
  
"I'm afraid I'm confused," Mr. Weasley admitted.  
  
"Cormac and her started dating in October, for the Hogsmeade trip. When the article and everything was published. About ... a few days after that." Scarlett nodded as Mr. Weasley glanced at her, for confirmation. Scarlett's fork dug into her potatoes, thinking of a change of topic. "But you-know-who couldn't know about it, so they sort of kept it quiet. They just seemed like really good friends that snogged a bit," Ginny grinned. Scarlett flushed. "Or a lot if Seamus tells me anything. Well I guessed a week after they started dating, and they started to make a bet out of it, to see how long it would take Harry, Ron, and Hermione to know. Once Harry guessed around November, he was in on it, too. Cormac won. By Hogsmeade, and that's only because Scarlett snogged him in front of the whole school- which was brilliant! I do not have that amount of Gryffindor bravery."   
  
"The Dark Lord thinks we got together this Hogsmeade trip," Scarlett explained carefully. "Which is the preferred way I'd like to go about this. The Dark Lord can't know we're emotionally involved. Then he won't trust any information I give to him."   
  
Mrs. Weasley looked a tad green. "So it is true..." What was true? Scarlett was confused, still, but it seemed no one would tell her what Mrs. Weasley meant.   
  
"Scarlett McLaggen," the twins murmured again. "Any chance he might take your last name?"  
  
"We're dating, not getting married," Scarlett insisted. "Besides, Cormac Snape or Cormac Prince sounds really awful as well."  
  
"You're right," the twins murmured.  
  
"Oi, leave her alone!" Ginny scolded. "We're also trying to eat. Besides, Scarlett's never getting married."  
  
Mrs. Weasley nearly choked with that news.  
  
"Oh, no," Scarlett agreed quietly. "Not fond of the idea." She glanced up to see that Mrs. Weasley looked slightly distressed. "Is... is everything alright?"  
  
"Oh, yes," Mrs. Weasley insisted before she busied herself with cutting the roasted chicken on her plate. "Tonks, you were telling me earlier about your mother. Is she doing alright?"  
  
Scarlett was thankful for the change, and quietly resumed eating.   
  
"Scarlett McPrince sounds better."  
  
"Oh my Merlin," Scarlett giggled out quietly to the twin that had murmured it to her. "Stop, please."  
  
"Good in the sack?"  
  
"George!" Scarlett whispered, shocked.  
  
He laughed under his breath, but she still wasn't sure if it was really George or not. The dinner ended awkwardly, and Scarlett was sure her cheeks were still burning as the twins would murmur things to her. The Order meeting didn't start until ten at night, of which Ginny whispered to her, "Mum wants to make sure all of those that aren't allowed are in bed. It keeps her mind at peace."  
  
Scarlett followed her up the stairs, biting her lip in cofusion. "Why was your mum so upset with me telling them I wasn't going to get married."  
  
"Mum's dream is to marry everyone to someone," Ginny shrugged. "She's been planning my wedding since I was born. And with Bill's wedding this summer, she's sort of in a wedding fever. She absolutely can't wait - even though she can't stand Phlegm."  
  
"Phlegm?" Scarlett asked, confused.  
  
"Oh, Mum and I hate Fleur. We call her Phlegm."   
  
That didn't seem very nice, and Fleur seemed very nice to Scarlett. But Scarlett didn't really question it. Everyone hated different people. They sat in their room for a while, giggling as they talked about everyone and everything, for the first time in a very long time just talking as the two of them.   
  
"Dean and I have broken up," Ginny admitted after a fit of giggles. "We just... it was getting to the point where we fought all the time over everything and..." Scarlett frowned slightly. Was Ginny upset? "It's for the best. And Luna was right. The Marple-plumps must be living around me at this point, because there's no point trying to deny I'm totally in love with Harry. But apparently he likes Hermione... otherwise my Marple-plumps wouldn't exist, right? Because then it wouldn't be unrequited-"  
  
"You're saying that Luna's creatures are real," Scarlett pointed out. "We have no idea if these Marple-plumps are..."  
  
"Luna may be odd, but she knows things she couldn't possibly know otherwise," Ginny pointed out.  
  
"But Hermione had the Marple-plumps too-"  
  
"Oh, she's been in love with Ron since first year, they're just absolutely blind," Ginny snorted. "And now Ron's obsessed with Lavender, Hermione's turned into a jealous prat. And Harry probably likes her. And she probably has some feelings for him..." Ginny huffed, laying back on her bed. "You have Cormac. Cormac has you. Blaise likes someone something awful..." Ginny glanced to Scarlett, but didn't continue with the thought. "And then there's me. Merlin, Scarlett, it's bloody awful and pathetic, isn't it?"  
  
"It's not pathetic that you like someone. No feelings are pathetic if they're honest feelings," Scarlett insisted. "I'm more curious to know who Malfoy likes. He's not very open, emotionally."  
  
"Yeah, well, if this Vow means anything, no one will probably look twice at him for whatever he's doing anyway."  
  
"He means well," Scarlett said quietly. "He knows what is right and what is wrong... and he cares about his mother more than anything. Just like Severus and Tyler are my leverage, Narcissa is his... And it's entirely possible he's being forced to do this... And he's just choosing to cope with it as though it is an honor - he has been brainwashed into these ideals his entire life..." Scarlett frowned slightly. "I thought you were starting to be friends with Draco and Blaise... the beginning of the school year at least."  
  
"Oh... I was just trying to make Harry jealous. It was pointless, I know, but... I thought it might work."  
  
A fierce protectiveness raised up in Scarlett. "Don't use them, please..." Ginny sat up at the frown in Scarlett's voice. "They're very good people, and they will love whoever they love fully and... and they will be so passionate and devoted... but if they even get the hint that they're being used, they will shell off and... Please, if you like one of them, that's fantastic, but don't use them for Harry... They are my oldest friends and... I don't want them to be used."  
  
"I... I wasn't going to use them, but... thanks... They are kind of hot, aren't they?"  
  
Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Yeah... They are."  
  
"Cormac's even hotter."  
  
"I agree completely," Scarlett admitted. "He's pretty great, too... I don't even know what I did to start dating him, but... I really do like him."  
  
"I wish I had something like you two," Ginny sighed. She fell back on the bed. "Harry would never be like that, though. He'd be... shy. I mean, he's shy already. And he doesn't date anyone. Doesn't want them to be a target for you-know-who, which I guess is smart, but we're targets already." Scarlett had to agree with that, leaning against her headboard and huffing slightly as Leo jumped onto her lap, his paws digging into her skin. "Do you think Malfoy or Zabini would be like that?"  
  
"Blaise probably," Scarlett nodded. "Draco... Draco has never really been around a relationship like that, you know? Narcissa and Lucius aren't very outward with their emotions. Then again, neither is Blaise. I suppose all Slytherin's aren't, especially now. The Dark Lord is targeting them specifically to join, and if anyone can be used to make them..." Scarlett trailed off, her fingers skimming across Leo's fur. "Things wouldn't exactly be fun, I don't think."  
  
Ginny groaned. "I'm never going to find anyone amazing, am I?"  
  
"That's entirely up to you," Scarlett teased. "Though, out of the two of them... I think you would be best suited for Draco... though Harry would probably kill you and Ron would throw an absolute fit - not to mention what Hermione might do... You're ... well, you're fierce and don't take anything from anyone and... I think you would be a good balance for Draco... You remind me of Narcissa."  
  
"The Weasley family and the Malfoy family have had a fued since my great grandfather. We don't support each other. We aren't friends. And we always have hated each other. Dad says it was about something his grandfather said to Mr. Malfoy's grandfather, and it sort of... well, broke us up. Though, I suppose our different views can also be to blame for that. I don't think we'd ever see eye to eye."  
  
Scarlett considered that, but hadn't ever heard of a fued before. In fact, she didn't even know that the two families had been friendly towards one another before.   
  
"What do you think Malfoy's up to?"  
  
"No idea," Scarlett admitted. "It could be anything... You don't think it had anything to do with Katie, do you?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"He's not a killer," Scarlett promised softly. "In all the years I've known him, he's never hurt anyone. Not intentionally."   
  
There was a sharp knock that interrupted their conversation and Scarlett was surprised to see her father standing there, looking almost uncomfortable. "If I may speak with you, downstairs, alone."  
  
"Of course, sir," Scarlett said immediately, moving Leo off of her lap. Severus merely nodded curtly and left, not waiting for her.  
  
"What do you think he wants?"  
  
"How long do you think he's been listening?" Scarlett asked quietly. "He had to have heard the last few things at least."  
  
Ginny paled. "And the Vow-"  
  
Scarlett rushed from the room, to try to explain to her father what he might have heard, but he had been engaged in a conversation with Bill Weasley and Scarlett hesitated a moment before heading towards the kitchen, where a glass of cranberry juice was sitting there.  
  
"Oh, I made you a glass, Scarlett," Mrs. Weasley insisted, passing it to Scarlett. Scarlett glanced at it, and instead of turning it away, as she wasn't too fond of the juice, she accepted it with a smile. "I was making myself a glass, and there was only a little bit left, and you just so happened to enter. Drink up, dear."   
  
"Thank you-"  
  
"Miss Prince-"  
  
"Right, sir," Scarlett said, before she could take a sip, and she turned to find Severus leading her towards the tea room from the summer, sitting across from her with a flourish of his robes. "I'm surprised you're here so early, sir. The meeting doesn't start for another hour."  
  
"Yes, well... there are some things I wished to discuss with you." She sipped from her juice, waiting for him to continue. It was bitter and made her wince, but once it was down, she found herself wanting more. "The Dark Lord has taken the information you passed to me this morning. He says that you will be rewarded for your diligence and your eagerness to please."  
  
She relaxed slightly. "That's good news."  
  
"Indeed... However, I made a few changes in your statement. You were very honest, and I wished to keep it more neutral, to protect Slughorn..."  
  
"Do you know why Professor Slughorn is so valuable to the Dark Lord, and to Dumbledore?" Scarlett questioned. "They both seem to want something for him, but I take it is for very different reasons."  
  
"Yes, well... that is a matter you should not include yourself in. It is better for you if you are not made aware." Oh. So he did know. "When the time comes..." He hesitated, before shaking his head. "You will not need to concern yourself with it. That is for Mr. Potter to handle."  
  
"Alright," Scarlett agreed quietly. "What else was there, sir?"  
  
"Mr. Zabini says that you will be heading out to Muggle London on an excursion before you head to see Tyler?" Scarlett nodded. "Very well... I trust you'll be careful?"  
  
"Always, sir. And we figured that Muggle London would be much safer, especially with holliday shoppers being so rampant. It is a large crowd we can easily be lost in." Severus merely nodded and there was a moment of silence as she sipped from her juice waiting for him to continue.

"Sir... do you ever wonder if you were in love with my mother after all this time... because your mind was attempting to find the memory that was obliviated from you?" 

His posture became stiff, as if it was something he hadn't thought about, but it was also an unwelcome suggestion. "It's possible."

"Can you tell me about her?" she asked quietly. She bit her lip. "Harry says I look just like her... And the picture in the memory..." She sipped from her juice again. "She must have been... something special for you to have loved her for over twenty-five years."  
  
"Yes..." he said quietly, as if agreeing. "She was ridiculously kind. Almost stupidly so. But there was one person she hated with her entire being... James Potter." Scarlett glanced at him in surprise. "Loathed him for years. And that's why James Potter hated me." She could tell this was difficult for him to talk about. "He would ask her out every single week, and she would always tell him to shove it. She was remarkably brave, and she wasn't ever embarrassed. Would tell Potter off in front of the whole school, if the time called for it. And smart... she should have been in Ravenclaw... like you, she would spend her free time in the library, reading anything she could get her hands on, extra assignments. Her and I... we began to create spells together. She excelled more in Transfiguration and Charms, whereas I was more skilled in Potions and Defense."   
  
"How did you start creating spells?" Scarlett questioned, her voice quiet.  
  
"We were in our fourth year... near the end. She was given access to the restricted section and she found a book that contained a few spells that were unfinished. And once she realized that they were spells that were created but never finished, she shared her discovery with me. She asked her parents to buy her a few Latin dictionaries and send them to her, and we started to learn."  
  
"That's remarkable," Scarlett murmured. "To be so young..."  
  
"But sometimes she was rather a bit pig-headed," Severus admitted suddenly. "Too stubborn. Wouldn't give up, no matter what. She was under the impression that if she didn't finish it, it resulted in failure."  
  
"But sometimes accepting defeat would mean that you're having the grace to say-"  
  
"Yes, well, she refused," Severus stated simply. "And it got her killed in the end. Once she put her mind to something, she would not turn back." He swallowed, his gaze dropping to the cup in Scarlett's hands. "She was a lot like you, though I do think her faults are not your own. You accept failure with grace and are not too proud." It was a compliment, one that made her blush lightly. "McLaggen will wish he was a better man once he realizes what you are."  
  
Scarlett flushed a deeper red and chewed on her lip. "Is the reason you're not too fond of him.... is it because he reminds you of James Potter?"  
  
"Yes, and no," Severus stated. "He has the arrogance, the reputation, certainly. However, he has done nothing so far to try to embarrass you in front of the entire school, nor has he attempted to profess his undying feelings in the form of song in the middle of a Quidditch match."  
  
Scarlett laughed, imagining. "I might kill him if he did," she admitted. "And I think he knows that."  
  
Severus's lips quirked, but he hid the smile of amusement as he sipped from his tea. "Yes. Well, he should stay under that assumption..."   
  
She swallowed. "I'm worried, sir... about the Dark Lord. If ... if I reveal any hint of emotion... He specifically said don't get emotionally involved. Otherwise, he will become suspicious of the information. If he'll be at the ball-"  
  
"Act normally, but do not reach for McLaggen, let him come to you." She didn't know how to do that. She also didn't know if she should warn him. He was not trained in Occulmens. "Are there any other concerns?"  
  
"The potion," Scarlett said quietly. "How is it?"  
  
Severus exhaled slowly. "The reults have come through and they tell a county, but not a city. Since he is not in the book of registry, either, we have that on our side, as well. But he will not be safe if he stays where he is for too long." Move them again? "It is likely the Dark Lord is too preoccupied to immediately search for him. That is Lucius's job and his efforts are slow, especially from Azkaban."   
  
The Malfoy head had been imprisoned just shortly before her lesson with Greyback. She dreaded to think what would happen to him in Azkaban. His mind was already fragile. Her change of mood seemed to be noticeable. "He will be fine. If anything, Lucius is strong."  
  
"Azkaban breaks even the strongest of men," Scarlett reminded him. "Blaise told me that..."  
  
"Yes... well... it is not always the case. Sirius Black was a slithering fool and he survived it." Twelve years of it, if what she had been told was true. Scarlett took some comfort in that. Yet, she knew that Sirius Black was also innocent... Lucius wasn't. Lucius lived with the guilt for years, and would for years more.  
  
"The Dark Lord will not allow him to stay long, right?" Scarlett asked suddenly. "He has broken out Bellatrix and the others... surely he will eventually free Lucius."  
  
"The Dark Lord will use the guise of money to free Lucius. It is the primary estate, and therefore, Lucius will be more valuable in the neutral light, using his money to save him, than the Dark Lord... though the shame of the latter would probably be more pleasureable to the Dark Lord."  
  
"The others think I'm a fool for caring for him," Scarlett admitted, chewing on her lip as she stared at her cranberry juice.  
  
"They also think you're a fool for caring for McLaggen. You can take that with as much salt as you wish." He was always comforting, even if he truly didn't say it outright.   
  
"I just don't think they understand... Lucius was my father before I had you..." Scarlett glanced up, catching a slight hint of emotion on his face before it was gone. "And whenever I think of a bad memory, I am always reminded of a good. And there are probably twice as many good memories as there are bad... he may not be a good person, but... he's better than they make him seem."  
  
"Your mother was a romantic, too," Severus commented dryly. "That is perhaps one of the reasons she was friends with me for so long. She always loved to see the good in someone that hasn't had such a good start."   
  
"If Abraxus had died sooner, would Lucius be different?"  
  
Severus didn't seem to think so. "Worse. He hated his father, and it wasn't until near his father's end that he became disillusioned with his ideals. They were much worse than the blood supremacy that he lives with now."  
  
Scarlett simply nodded, glad he was being honest with her. She didn't know if he ever lied to her, but not that she could tell. "If he decides to follow Tyler's potion result... what will we do?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Scarlett swallowed. She also was kind of glad when he was cryptic with his responses. And it was in this moment she didn't like his honesty. "We can't keep moving them... I was going to try to strengthen the wards, but... if he's tracking magical spikes in Muggle areas, that could lead him straight there."  
  
"You think Molly will reveal the location-"  
  
"No," Scarlett said immediately. "But I also know that if he were to hurt Molly... what then? If he killed her, the location wouldn't be secret anymore."  
  
"We would make someone else secret keeper immediately. There is a way to do so and the wards still remain-"  
  
"It's just all so risky," Scarlett interrupted. "I wish it wasn't." She knew it was a foolish sort of hope. What was life without any risks? "We're relying on so many factors, so many things that could go badly... Who would become secret keeper ... should the worst happen?"  
  
"Who would be the person you trusted most to keep Tyler safe?" Severus questioned, as if she should already know the answer.  
  
"But that's dangerous," Scarlett insisted. "The Dark Lord could accidentally access the memories in your head at any given moment, if anything were to falter-"  
  
He seemed entirely surprised by her statement. "Me? Why on earth would you trust me?"  
  
Scarlett frowned slightly. "I... I trust you, sir... I think you've proven so far that you'd do what it took to keep Tyler safe... So, yes, I would trust you with Tyler's safety... I already am."  
  
He made a noise, as if he was ... well, touched. "I was not referring to myself, however. You would take the vow. You have a stronger will to protect him than the rest of us. If you have gone through these lengths already, you will go any more to keep him protected." She would die for Tyler, if it meant he was safe. But if she was secret keeper... well, dying would put him in danger.  
  
"Oh... well, I suppose, sir, but... it is still dangerous. The Dark Lord ... and I'm not nearly as skilled at Occulmens as you are-"  
  
"You are proficient enough," Severus said firmly. "An Order meeting will be taking place in a few minutes. Albus has asked for your attendance."  
  
Scarlett glanced up at him, confused. "But... I ... I thought we were keeping my involvement a secret."  
  
"Albus believes that trusting the Order with this will benefit you in the end. They will need to learn to trust you now, instead of when the war ends. Molly and Arthur's .... statement of loyalty will not be enough for some." Should she be discovered by the rest of the world. He needn't finish. She finished the rest of her juice, and as she began to set the cup down, Severus stood.   
  
"Now, sir?" Scarlett questioned in surprise. "I thought you said a few minutes."  
  
"Your favorite color?"  
  
She glanced at the cup in her hands, before quickly back at him, realization dawning on her. "Brown."  
  
"Good. Come we mustn't be late."  
  
"How did you... how did you get it in there?" Scarlett questioned, rising quickly and following. "I've had that glass-"  
  
"Molly was doing the dishes, and I used the opportunity. It will be weaker, with all of the liquids, but it is best to keep your training up, even if it is the smaller course."  
  
"It is always the little things that count more," Scarlett quipped. Merlin, how did she not realize? Though, it was tasteless, still... She should have known. She wasn't fond of it. "I don't like Cranberry juice... In fact, I can't drink much of it... How did you manage to get me to drink it as well?"  
  
"A compulsion charm," he stated simply. "You must think, in every circumstance. You should have realized sooner."  
  
He was right. She was a fool for not realizing it. They exited the small tea room and Severus stopped suddenly, and Scarlett saw why. Harry was standing there, half hidden by the invisibility cloak he was trying to shove over himself, and it was obvious by the reddening of his face he had been listening.   
  
"You're a fool, Potter," Severus stated simply. "Your mind is un-Occluded. Eavesdropping on a private conversation will only put Order information into the Dark Lord's hand."  
  
"Like you don't do that already, sir?" Harry returned sharply. He glanced at Scarlett a bit angry. "How can you trust him?" Scarlett swallowed by the anger directed towards her. He had never been angry with her. Not like this. "He's nothing but a snake-"  
  
"Mmm, quite," Severus intoned. "Run along, Potter, no children allowed to attend the meeting-"  
  
"You know what he is, Scarlett-"  
  
"And you what I am," Scarlett returned simply. "How is it any different?"   
  
"And your favorite color isn't brown..."  
  
Scarlett smiled at him, listening to Severus exhale in frustration, moving along. "I know," Scarlett answered, before she bid her farewell to follow. "Harry won't tell anyone," Scarlett insisted. "He's not like that-"  
  
"He gets emotional and the Dark Lord is given access to his mind," Severus stated sharply. "Any information he has is vulnerable."  
  
Scarlett paled. "What?" She reached for Severus's arm, but stopped herself from grabbing it. "But... but then the Dark Lord would know we're lying about Tyler's location... And my mark and... and everything would be ruined... He'd kill us and-"  
  
"Yes, he would," Severus stated. "That is why I will either have to obliviate him, or he will have to actually take the time to learn Occulmency. He will need to eventually."  
  
"Who is teaching him?" Scarlett asked, confused. "I thought he already took some lessons-"  
  
"He violated my privacy," Severus snapped. "I will not teach him anymore." Oh. He was a very private person, and he did not trust Harry at all... she sort of assumed that. But if those private memories were in Harry's head, it was all the more reason to teach him. "It is the fool's problem now. He can teach him as he sees fit."  
  
And while it wasn't fair, he wasn't in a good mood, so she didn't want to counter it. Severus was probably the most adept person to teach anyone anything. Yet, he was also entitled to his privacy... And Cormac spent so little time with Scarlett as is. She wanted to spend more time with him, not less... And more time for herself, as well. She couldn't teach Harry... She wasn't mastered herself.   
  
"How often is the Dark Lord given access?"  
  
"Whenever the Dark Lord wants... whenever the Dark Lord doesn't believe the information you give him, then it is likely."  
  
"If he has his own means of checking on Harry, then why am I being assigned to it?" Scarlett questioned.  
  
"Because his means are not always reliable. And he does not want you to know he has this ability... He can check on you with it, as well."  
  
Did he not trust her?   
  
So she wasn't even safe around Harry now? He pushed open the dining room door and Scarlett was surprised to see that it was already filling up, and they had at least a half hour until the meeting began. Mad-Eye Moody was standing in the back, his hands resting atop his staff, glaring at everyone that entered. His glare pierced Scarlett as soon as he recognized her and she swallowed a bit. Severus's hand gripped her shoulder, shoving her forward.   
  
"Oi, Scar, you can sit with us!" the twins cried, making room in between them. Scarlett glanced slightly to Severus to see if it was okay, before she moved towards them, grateful to sit with people she knew. "You look a bit worse for wear, Scar. A little pale-"  
  
"Say, you never wrote about if that device actually worked-"  
  
"It did," Scarlett admitted. "Didn't help much, but it did give us a general direction."  
  
"Wicked," George declared. "We didn't actually think it would work."   
  
"Of course it did, brother, we're geniuses."  
  
"Right you are!"  
  
"I'm thinking of starting a line of products-"  
  
"We're thinking of it, Scar-"  
  
Since when did they name her Scar? "Right, we are, on child care items-"  
  
"Oh, that's great," Scarlett admitted, her palms folded between her knees as the twins continued excitedly.  
  
"But see, we haven't had a kid in the house since Ginny was a baby-"  
  
"And mum didn't trust us around her-"  
  
"I wonder why," Scarlett commented lightly.  
  
"So, we thought we'd ask you-"  
  
"Why don't we discuss it later this break?" Scarlett asked. But on the inside, she wasn't quite sure how to answer. She hadn't really cared for a baby in... well, years, and she didn't raise Tyler now. "We have a load of time to talk about it and I'm sure you'll need help in a few charms or something, which I'm happy to do."  
  
"Wicked," the twins remarked together.  
  
She had a feeling she was going to regret this. And the grins they were giving each other only furthered her worries. The twins prattled on and it wasn't until everyone had arrived, including a weary Dumbledore, that the meeting began.  
  
"As you can see, we have a new member amongst us." Dumbledore's eyes traveled to Scarlett, who was sitting as still as she could possibly sit, trying not to get noticed amongst the group. "Scarlett Prince has joined us late in October and has only just now been able to attend meetings."  
  
"She's too young for this, Albus," Molly insisted. "She has only been introduced to this war a mere six months ago-"  
  
"I think you'll find Scarlett is very adept to take on whatever circumstance is thrown at her. She had adapted marvelously to Hogwarts already." Scarlett gave the Headmaster a small smile of thanks before she lowered her gaze to the dining table. "She has been retreiving information from the Dark Lord, and followers, in order to help the Order's cause and she proves to be invaluable."   
  
"I don't trust her, Albus," Mad-Eye Moody stated gruffly. "She has been living with the Malfoys her whole life. She's as corrupt as them."  
  
"You'll find that Scarlett has quickly become one of the students favorite sources for help, and she was not sorted into Gryffindor merely to be with her friends." Was that why she was sorted into Gryffindor? "Already she had worked to unite the houses and has sacrificed much of her time to take place in an apparenticeship program, of which she has already completed three years of study in the course of five months. If there is any reason to mistrust Scarlett, it is simply for her inability to do everything at once."  
  
The praise was ... well, glowing. "She's one of them, and she'll never be one of us."  
  
"Oh, do shut up, Alastor," Severus snapped. "Look at the girl. If she can deceive the Dark Lord, she's to be trusted. She's got far too much on the line to screw up."  
  
"Another reason I don't trust her is because she's your daughter," Mad-Eye growled out.  
  
"That's not a very good reason not to trust someone," Scarlett spoke up. "He's done far more for the Order than you seem willing to give him credit for. And because of me, you've stopped three raids."   
  
"Uh, I wouldn't talk back to Mad-Eye, Scar," one of the twins murmured as Mad-Eye turned his attention towards her.  
  
"Yeah, not a good idea," the other said carefully.  
  
"Go on," Mad-Eye gruffed out.  
  
Scarlett swallowed. "If you want a reason not to trust someone, why don't you... just ... never get to know them and always make assumptions? Because I guarantee you don't know anything about me, or my father, or how much we risk every day to get the information you want."  
  
"You've got some balls, girl," Mad-Eye snapped at her.  
  
"Oh," Scarlett said in surprise. "I don't. I've checked." There was a moment of silence as everyone tried to figure out if she was kidding, and then the laughter seemed to come all at once, and she was relieved that they recognized it for a joke. The twins erupted into laughter and a few more did as well, but more looked worried Mad-Eye was going to erupt into a torrent of lava and flame.  
  
"She's completely immature, Albus. She does not deserve to be in the Order-"  
  
"I make the decisions on who is inducted," Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "I have deemed her ready and her will has proven itself again and again. I have no doubt in my mind that Scarlett will be ready to make any sacrifice necessary, if it meant winning us the war."  
  
"A sacrifice she won't be making if I have any say. She's eighteen years old, not a menopausal suicidal maniac," Severus ground out. "She does what is necessary and doesn't get too deep. She knows how to get out if necessary." Did she? She wasn't sure what was considered too deep. Nothing was too deep for the sake of information, right? She already had the mark. She didn't see how it got deeper than that.   
  
"Miss Prince is apart of this Order and she actively is a participant." Scarlett found these meetings to be very different than the Dark Lord's. For one, nothing seemed to be expected of her. At least, not yet.   
  
"The Dark Lord will be making an attack this Christmas Day. I do not know where, nor who is involved, but the attack will take place Christmas Night," Severus spoke up. "He mentioned an attack only briefly in the meeting last night." Meeting last night? She hadn't been called. "Scarlett is also not going to be called this winter. If for any reason he does call her, she is to ignore it... He wants to see how loyal she will remain to the cause - and how undercover she will stay."  
  
"He doubts her?"  
  
"No, but he is beginning to question if she is as intelligent as many people are praising her to be," Severus spoke up. "So, she is to stay at the Burrow."   
  
Scarlett could do that. She didn't see why that, too would be a problem. As if to punctuate his sentence, there was a rippling burning sensation that tore through her abdomen and she sucked in a sharp breath, her arm immediately wrapping around her middle as she tried her hardest to remain calm.  
  
"I must take my leave," Severus said sharply before he rose and left the home. Scarlett heard his crack of apparation before the room settled into silence.   
  
"It's not on her arms."  
  
"The Dark Lord believes that it would be best if kept out of view," Dumbledore spoke. "It is on her stomach, and it is easily concealed for the time being."   
  
Easily concealed? Hardly.  
  
It was so drastically different that she was surprised by the arguments, debates and pointless information lobbed to and fro as they discussed what it was they should be focusing on. It lacked organization, a central authority, and a multitude of other things that the Dark Lord's meeting had. Though, it was considerably more comfortable - and she didn't feel like her life was in danger because of it.   
  
"So... how was it, compared to old snake face?" Harry asked curiously once they were dismissed. Hermione sat atop her bed, a book resting on her lap, but seemed interested in the answer. Ginny was nervously biting her nails and Harry was resting at the foot of Scarlett's bed, a bit nervous himself.  
  
"Well, crowded, for one," Scarlett admitted. "And I sat between the twins the whole time, so it was a bit more tense, on my part. And I may have backtalked Mad-Eye Moody-"  
  
Ginny gasped. "You didn't!"  
  
"Er... sort of... but... he was being quite rude to my father. I couldn't just sit quiet. And well, the Dark Lord certainly has more organization, and no one ever talks out of turn. The Order sort of just shouts at each other, and they don't really get much done."  
  
Harry seemed surprised. "And what about you-know-who's meetings?"  
  
"You only speak when spoken to, and he asks for specific information, you don't just ... give input. You're punished for that. Only if he asks for input, anyway. And it's very... well, different. I feel like more gets done, than... well, the Order's way. But I feel like that's because the Order lacks a central authority figure. Everyone has a bit of their own part to take charge of, which is fantastic, but a lot of people butt heads."  
  
"I still can't believe you backtalked Mad-Eye Moody."  
  
"He wasn't fond of me when we met at the Slug Club either," Scarlett admitted quietly. "Dumbledore said he was entirely sure I would be able to sacrifice anything if the time came to it... it unsettled me."  
  
"Sacrifice?" Ginny spoke up. "Sacrifice what?"  
  
"I don't know," Scarlett admitted. "But ... I didn't like it. If it came between the war and Tyler..." She swallowed. She hated to admit her selfishness. "I would choose Tyler. And I don't think I'd think twice about it."  
  
"He should never ask you to make that choice," Harry insisted. "That's not right."  
  
Scarlett frowned slightly. "What if he's already asked, and I haven't realized?" She shook her head. "I sound almost as paranoid as Molly... I really shouldn't be thinking this, but... I still worry."  
  
"Right, well, it's late and I'm sure we can all use some sleep," Hermione spoke up. "You two, out."  
  
The boys grumbled, but left, and Scarlett was grateful once she could lay back in her bed, Leo curled under the blankets by her feet. "You don't think he'd ask you to give up Tyler, would he? Or yourself?"  
  
"I... I don't know." And for the first time, Scarlett wasn't sure who she would prefer to be with - a Dark Lord that was sure to keep her around for a little while longer, or Dumbledore, a leader that would sacrifice anyone less for the Greater Good. And it terrified her.  



	44. Ireland's Fair Landscape

She awoke on December 23rd feeling particularly alive. Despite the snow outside, she was warm, and glowing, and she couldn't sit still all throughout breakfast.

"Severus is bringing Blaise Zabini through Floo, Scarlett, dear," Molly spoke up. "Although he mentioned you two were looking to take a trip shortly beforehand... I'm not sure I'm okay with this-"

"They aren't children. They'll be fine," Severus snapped, coming into view. Blaise was there, his cheeks a bit flushed, but he looked alright otherwise.

Scarlett grimaced at what he was wearing. Wizarding clothing. "You can't wear that, Blaise..." She rose from her seat, setting down her toast, and she dusted off her hands before grabbing her wand and flicking it at the Italian. Immediately, his clothing changed to more Muggle attire - a thick gray sweater, black pants, and a black scarf. It was much better. "There."

She sat back down, grabbing her toast and Molly quickly sprung into action. "Oh, Mr. Zabini, do make yourself at home... Would you like some breakfast? We have plenty to go around."

"Uh, thanks, Mrs. Weasley... Scarlett and I actually need to head out soon... We are leaving by ten in the morning, correct?"

"Oh, yes, absolutely," Molly said at once, flustered, it seemed. Scarlett finished her toast in two bites, swallowed it nearly whole, before she joined Blaise at the door, her father standing in the background, annoyed.

"I'm taking my leave. If anything should go wrong in Muggle London, apparate back here immediately." Scarlett nodded to his request and then watched as he left.

"I... I have to get my shoes, but I'll be back down in a minute..." She glanced towards Harry and Hermione worriedly. "Don't kill anyone, please."

"I'm more worried they'll kill me."

She was too, to be honest. She hurried up the stairs, surprised to find Ginny awake, just sitting on her bed, as if waiting for Scarlett. "Morning," Scarlett greeted, opening her trunk and jostling the items inside. Ginny didn't reply, so Scarlett figured the girl was still tired, and upon finding her boots, sat at the foot of her bed, slipping the first one on.

"Who is the one person you-know-who fears?" Ginny questioned suddenly.

Scarlett glanced up in surprise. "Dumbledore." She took a minute to process this.

"Harry says Leanne said that the package was meant for Dumbledore... That can't be coincidence. It was never meant for her..."

"You think Draco's trying to kill Dumbledore?" Scarlett pressed. "That is what the Vow means? But that would mean that Severus is in on it as well-"

"He hasn't hinted at anything?" Ginny whispered.

Scarlett shook her head, sliding on her last boot. "No. No one has. Everyone's been acting normal around me... Severus would never kill the Headmaster, Ginny... He wouldn't... He's loyal to the Order. Everyone knows that."

"But... what if he's lying... tricking us... I don't want that to be so, but... what if?"

"Then we're screwed," Scarlett admitted. "No one's safe... Tyler, me, Eileen..." She frowned slightly. "Maybe... maybe Dumbledore does know about it? Dumbledore's sick... you've seen his hand-"

"I don't think he'd sign his life away."

Scarlett frowned, feeling almost sick. "Severus wouldn't, Ginny... He wouldn't."

But Ginny didn't look convinced. "Is Zabini here?"

"Yeah... we're heading out but we'll be back soon to leave again... I don't think that's right, Ginny. We would know, the Order would know... If Dumbledore was killed, the Order would be in a fit-"

"Maybe that's what the Dark Lord wants." Scarlett knew the Dark Lord wanted nothing more than the Order to be weakened.

"I've got to go." She needed to push this thought as far from her mind as possible. She couldn't focus on it. Today was Tyler. Today Blaise was finally meeting Tyler for the first time in... well, ever.

She rejoined everyone in the kitchen to find Zabini still standing there stiffly, and Molly fussing over him as she always did. "Well, at least sit down," Mrs. Weasley was saying. "Scarlett shouldn't be long."

"Here, Mrs. Weasley," Scarlett said, smiling brightly. "We'll be back soon. Ginny's up, too. I think she'll be down soon."

"You two be very careful," Mrs. Weasley warned. "Any problem whatsoever and you leave wherever you are."

"I know, Mrs. Weasley," Scarlett insisted. "We'll be fine. It's just to the toy store and back." She took Blaise's arm, tugging him towards the door. "Bye!"

Blaise simply nodded, still quiet. When they reached the apparation point, she gripped his arm tightly. "Ready?" she questioned.

"As ever."

And she apparated. She landed across the street from Grimmauld Place, in the same garden she had landed in when she apparated there the first time, but instead of leading him towards Headquarters, she led him through the opposite end of the garden, towards the bustling city street of London. "I don't really know my way around, but I've looked at a map and it seems like we just follow this road until we get there."

"I'm nervous," Blaise said once they began their walk, the thick pavement under their feet. It was brisque in London, and despite the wind being lighter, it still felt colder. But Scarlett knew it was precisely 3 degrees celsius, and she was dressed accordingly.

"Tyler will love you."

"What if he doesn't like us?"

"He will... These people are wonderful and Tyler knows that we'll be visiting him - apparently, he's really excited to meet us." Blaise didn't seem to know what to say to that, but she could still tell he was nervous. "We'll be fine. If anything, he's been waiting for us."

"What if I bollocks it up?" Blaise questioned. "I mean, he sort of knows you - but he doesn't really know me, at all. What if we meet, and I ruin it for all of us-"

"Blaise, you won't, so stop worrying, please. It'll be fine. Now, if we don't get a Christmas present, however, I don't think Tyler would ever forgive us." Blaise didn't seem to relax at her attempt at a joke. "Blaise-" She pulled him to a stop, sighing as she looked up to him. "Stop worrying or I'll begin to worry."

"Just nervous," Blaise admitted with a shrug. He shoved his hands in his pant pockets, as if they were cold. "I don't know anything about him."

"Neither do I," Scarlett said quietly. "Though, he does like Legos, which is what we're going to try to find."

"And legos are... what exactly?"  
"No idea," Scarlett grinned. "That's what makes this all the more exciting. But I do know it's comprised of little tiny bricks."

"And where are we going exactly?"

"Again, no idea," Scarlett giggled. "I've never been to Muggle London before. Any Muggle area really."

"I haven't been to this side of town," Blaise admitted, glancing around them. Indeed, it was very busy, Muggles darting every which way, large metal things rolling in the streets, honking. Scarlett believed they were cars. It was all very interesting. She soaked it in, relishing the fact that this is what she could very well have grown up in, if she had been given to a Muggle family. This was how she could have lived.

Would a letter have ever reached her? She doubted so. She may have had the trace, but ... was a letter ever delivered to the Manor? She wasn't sure. She would have to ask Lucius, perhaps once everything was all dealt with.

She suddenly walked up to a Muggle, Blaise nervously fidgeting behind her. "Excuse me," Scarlett said kindly. The Muggle woman looked up, a cautious look on her face. "We've never traveled this far south before, and we were hoping you could direct us to the toy store?"

The woman glanced behind Scarlett to Blaise before nodding. With her finger, she pointed just a few blocks up. "Go all the way and you'll find it, on this side of the street. Happy Christmas."

"Oh, Happy Christmas," Scarlett grinned before she grabbed Blaise's arm. "Thank you." The woman was already beginning to walk away. She began to drag him towards the direction the woman pulled them. "She was rather nice, wasn't she?"

"Very abrupt."

Scarlett simply shrugged, not minding that bit. "She could have flat out walked around me. Now, she said this way so..." Scarlett scanned each store shop as they moved, curiously taking in the many different places that Muggles had. Sports gear. Television shop. A pet shop with things much different than in Diagon Alley - or at least she assumed. She had only walked by the pet shop there.

"There it is!" Scarlett said brightly, pulling on the arm she had been holding the whole time, until they reached a brightly colored shop with what looked like thousands of people inside, but Scarlett knew it could only have, logically, a few dozen.

As soon as they walked inside, the colors seemed equally as vibrant and she pulled Blaise with her as they quickly surveyed everything they could, Scarlett giggling as she read a few product names.

"I don't see anything called Legos, do you?" Blaise questioned.

Scarlett shook her head, biting her lip as they moved up the stairs, where it was slightly less crowded. "Well there's multiple layers. Maybe we just need to keep going up?"

"Yeah, maybe."

And up they went, but it seemed the age range got younger the higher up they got. And they were pressing on time. "We should ask someone that works here," Blaise admitted after nearly an hour of searching. Scarlett agreed and glanced around until she found a young man in a brightly colored uniform. And a name tag, perfect.

"Excuse me," Scarlett said politely, giving a small smile in hopes of being friendly. "Um, we were wondering if you sold Legos here... And where they might be?"

"Legos?" the man asked, glancing around. "Yeah, ground floor, in the way back, by the registers. Can't find them, just grab someone."

She sighed in relief. "Thank you." She turned, grabbing Blaise's arm yet again, and they quickly made it to the stairs. Once they found the Legos, nearly five minutes later, she was surprised by all the different options they had.

"Do you remember which sets you saw in his bedroom?" Blaise questioned, standing beside her as they stared at the vast array of Lego sets.

"I will, if pointed out to them," Scarlett admitted. "Photographic memory and all." Blaise nodded. "Pick which ones you would like."

And he took what she said to heart. They began by looking at the top rack, Blaise pulling down a few, but shook his head, shoving them back up there, a little hint of a magic to make sure they didn't topple over. "Blaise, stop it. You're going to get us in trouble," she warned under her breath as he passed her a box to hold.

"Don't worry," he insisted, a small wink joining his statement. "I'm a pro at this."

"Uh huh." Four more boxes joined her arms and she giggled as Blaise glanced between two selections, before placing them both in her arms. "Blaise, we can't get all of them."

"We sure as hell can."

She laughed as another joined her arms. "Blaise," he paused, his eyes meeting hers, "be serious. We can't buy them all. We don't have enough money for that."

He shrugged. "I exchanged a fair bit of galleons. Don't worry about it." She felt a pang. "It's the least I can do. You've done a lot. I feel like I've done next to nothing."

"How are we going to carry all of these bags on multiple trains and buses?" she continued. "I can barely see over the top of this pile."

He smirked. "We're magic-folk. Of course we can handle this on those things."

She rolled her eyes. "We can use it close to the location. It'll draw them there."

"We'll figure it out," Blaise shrugged. "But I say we make up for the fact that we haven't had three birthdays, and two Christmases, and multiple easters, and other celebrations with him."

She knew he just wanted to make up for it, so she sighed, and let him pick out whatever it was he wanted.

"Isn't Muggle London amazing?" Blaise cried as they got onto the street, at least four bags hanging from his hands, her with nearly the same. "Scarlett, I mean, look at this! They have entire stores dedicated to sending people letters - and not even parchment or quills, but pre-written cards!"

She giggled. "Yes, Blaise. I see the store front too."

"It's so emotionally distant," Blaise continued. "How in the world are they even close to one another? Do they send cards just for no reason? Or only for important events."

"And while I would say we could investigate, we are almost behind schedule," Scarlett laughed, grabbing his arm with her free hand. "We have to get back."

Blaise was in a very giddy mood as they began their trek to the garden. "You know... I'm not so nervous anymore."

"Is it because you went all out on the gifts? Or because you're concentrating too much on carrying them?" Scarlett teased. Blaise rolled his eyes. She bit her lip, her gaze dropping to their feet as they walked along the wet sidewalk. "I'm still a little nervous. John and Julia are wonderful people... but what have they told him?"

"I'm sure it was nice."

She hoped. "They didn't even know what we looked like. They just had a picture of my parents." Scarlett swallowed down emotions that were rising in her throat. "How can you care for someone so much, like they have for Tyler, and not know anything about where he comes from?"

"They're good people," Blaise offered as an explanation. "What would have happened if they cast him away?"

"We would never have found him," Scarlett agreed. "Lucius's memories would have ... led us to a dead end. We would have had no where."

"Exactly," Blaise smirked. "They're good people. And we pretty much owe them a life debt."

"Yeah," she agreed quietly. "Any day."

"Like you told me, no need to be nervous. I think you've only proven how little we have to worry about." She took a deep breath, but agreed with a nod. "Now, let's get back so we can actually get going, yeah?"

The Burrow had a bit more activity. And Ron was awake. "Oi!" he cried when he spotted Blaise beside her. "What's he doing here?"

Blaise smirked, looking over Ron as if he were pray. "Here to make sure you're not being a prat," Blaise shrugged. "Being a prat, Weasley?"

"Oi, I don't care what she does, or with who," Ron insisted quickly. His face was turning an ill looking shade of red as he nearly tripped over his words, much to Scarlett's amusement. "That's Hermione with the problem!"

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded, glaring at the red-head.

Blaise raised an eyebrow, but his smirk only intensified. "Yeah, I've heard plenty about her already." Scarlett didn't know he had. Who had told him. "Cormac sure does rant."

"Oh, I didn't know you talked to Cormac regularly," Scarlett said, curious.

"He needed help with stuff," Blaise shrugged. "We aren't friends." She didn't press.

"Well, you two certainly know how to shop," Mrs. Weasley commented, an amused smile on her face as she glanced down to the bags hanging from Blaise's arms. "How on earth are you going to transport that?"

"That's the fun of it," Blaise winked at her. Mrs. Weasley flushed, causing Scarlett to giggle.

Hermione stood abruptly, leaving the room. Scarlett watched her go, frowning slightly. Harry sighed, drawing Scarlett's attention away from the distraught friend. "She'll get over it," Harry muttered.

Scarlett didn't think it was just having to do with her, however. Hermione seemed to loathe her. Scarlett didn't understand how she was hated by Hermione that much. "Maybe," Blaise snorted. Did he not think so?

And suddenly Hermione was back, a red beaded bag in her hands. She paused a few feet from Scarlett and Blaise, holding her hand out. "Take it."

"Wow, Granger, a piece of beaded fabric," Blaise said dryly.

"It's a bag," she stated sharply. She shoved it towards them, more forcefully. "Undetectable extension charm. If you don't want to use it, by all means, I'll take it back upstairs. I have plenty of uses for it."

"Oh!" Scarlett took it from her carefully. "Thank you. I almost forgot about these." She had one herself, but it was tucked away at Hogwarts, containing all of the books she hadn't been able to bring with her. To keep them safe.

"I want it back," Hermione stated firmly. "So don't lose it."

"Of course not," Scarlett said immediately, her grip tightening on the bag just slightly, to make sure she didn't drop it. "Thank you."

Hermione just nodded, glancing briefly to Blaise, before she returned to the seat she was seated in before. "Right, well, pack up!" Tonks cried. "We've got a train to catch."

They just decided to put the shopping bags into the beaded bag, and then she tied it up, linking it to her belt loop so that she wouldn't forget it anywhere. And then they were off.

Blaise's grip on her hand was unyielding and she could tell his nerves mirrored her own by the apprehensive glance he was giving the door in front of them. The front door of the home their son lived in. Scarlett wasn't sure she could do this - if she could bear being rejected by Tyler.

"Ready?" Blaise murmured to her.

She wasn't. She wanted to turn around, to hide back at the Burrow. But... no. She had spent most of Tyler's life waiting for this moment. Gryffindor's were supposed to have courage. She was put there for a reason, she was sure. She stepped forward, knocking twice. And then she quickly retreated, squeezing Blaise's hand with her worry.

What if they had already been found?

But they hadn't been. The door opened just a few seconds later and Julia's face appeared, smiling widely. "Happy Christmas!" She smiled to the two teens, her face glowing and hiding her age. "You must be Blaise," Julia insisted, offering a hand to Blaise. "It's wonderful to meet you. Please, come in."

Blaise released Scarlett's hand, relaxing slightly, and shook hers, before taking her advice and stepping inside. "Oh! And Scarlett, look at you!" She embraced Scarlett tightly. "You look much better since we last saw each other."

"So do you," Scarlett returned. "I... We brought presents."

"Oh, you needn't, but come, we'll put them under the tree," Julia insisted. Scarlett followed and the Order was allowed in, before Scarlett was hit with the scents of cinnemon, apple, and mint. It smelt wonderful.

The small cottage was decorated every inch with Christmas decorations, from small soldiers that looked almost cartoonish to hangings of green branches with red berries. She couldn't ever remember seeing Christmas decorations so wonderful before. The Manor was always very minimal in its decorations - a holiday of joy being pushed to the side, suppressed. The last time they had a fully decorated tree was when she was young, still treated like their own.

And the Burrow's decorations weren't extensive, but Scarlett knew it was what little they had to decorate with. Julia and John obviously found a great deal of joy and comfort in the holidays.

"It's beautiful," Scarlett murmured, staring at the lit Christmas tree. It seemed as though a hundred tiny candles littered the tree, lighting it brilliantly. And odd shaped cookies were hanging off of every branch, decorated with white or colored icing along the tops. She spotted gingerbread men, bells, trees- There was a child sitting in front of the tree and it caused Scarlett to freeze.

Tyler. Blaise came to a halt beside her and Scarlett didn't know what to do. Say his name? Call out to him? He was playing with two cookies from the tree branches, waving them around in the air before they crashed into the ground, and then he did it again, crashing the cookies into each other. Noises accompanied the movements.

Her breath hitched as he turned to face them suddenly. His eyes were dark, just like Scarlett's own, and his hair, while black, glinted a hint of red in the candle light. He looked nearly identical to Blaise otherwise. A small, worry of a frown dotted his face as he stared at them, in confusion. It broke her heart. Of course he didn't know what they looked like. How could he? Of course he didn't recognize them.

"Tyler," John said, appearing from the otherside of the tree as the home was silent in the exchange. Tyler set the cookies down, pulling himself up to stand. "This is Scarlett and Blaise." Scarlett gave him a smile, doing her best to stop from crying. "They're your real parents."

Tyler's confusion slowly turned to understanding and he glancing to John and Julia uncertainly. "Mum and Dad?" Merlin, his voice was beautiful.

"Yes, your Mum and Dad."

Tyler faced them, as if waiting for some confirmation. "We've..." Blaise's voice faltered, and he swallowed. "We've waited ages to finally meet you."

"You're so big... Hello, Tyler," Scarlett offered, her voice so quiet she doubted Tyler could actually hear her. But he seemed to have because he was suddenly moving towards them quickly, and Scarlett didn't know what to do. Step out of his way? Kneel?

The choice was taken from them as he grabbed each of their hands with one of his own and tugged them down to his height. And then he was embracing them. A sob caught in her throat and she felt her arms wrap around him, hugging him as tightly as she could without hurting him. Blaise's own arm wrapped around him.

"Hey, Mum. Hey, Dad."

Oh, how she had longed to hear the words. How she spent hours pouring over books in the Room of Requirement, dreaming that she'd be one step closer to Tyler. How she'd be one step closer to bringing him home. And here he was, in her arms, and he was safe.

She felt safe. She felt like never moving. Everything had been justified. Everything she endured, every meeting she went to... it was all worth it for this one moment. Her lips kissed his cheek and she inhaled his scent. Syrup, likely from breakfast, lingered. And she could smell the distinct smell of something else - resembling paint.

When he pulled back, Scarlett felt the beaded bag shift against her leg. Presents. "I know it's not Christmas yet," she began, glancing quickly to Blaise. His eyes were moist, and he was clenching his jaw, as if to stop from expressing some emotion. He was Slytherin, first and foremost. And Slytherins didn't express emotion like Gryffindors did, apparently. They were cautious. Any hint of something could be used against them. "But," she continued, glancing back to Tyler. "We thought we'd give you your presents now, so you don't have to wait. We weren't quite sure what you'd like, so we got you a bit-"

"Really?" Tyler breathed, his dark eyes widening in excitement as he glanced between the two of them. "I can open them now?"

"If..." Blaise cleared his throat. "If John and Julia say it's alright."

Tyler spun around, facing the elderly couple, and Scarlett did her best to try and memorize his silhouette. His stance was wide, but she suspected it was because he was still getting used to walking. She wasn't sure how old a child was when they first learned to walk on their own. She wasn't sure at all. It made her realize just how much she had missed. All of Tyler's firsts.

"Can I?" Tyler questioned the elderly couple, who were embracing each other with one arm, still by the tree. Scarlett could see Hestia in the kitchen, talking quietly to Tonks about something - likely the wards.

"Oh, why not?" John shrugged, laughing slightly when Tyler nearly jumped for joy. "It's not like you don't ask every hour anyway."

"Yay!" he squealed, facing Scarlett and Blaise again.

"We didn't have time to wrap them," Scarlett admitted. "I'm sorry-"

Blaise helped her pull out a few bags from the bag and Tyler's eyes were wide. "Woah..." he breathed. Scarlett gave a sheepish smile and shrug as John and Julia seemed surprised as well.

"If you already have some of them, we can take them back," Blaise said uncomfortably as Tyler stared at the Lego boxes in bags, not moving to open them. "The store said that they did that.... I'm not sure what they meant-"

"They're all for me?" Tyler whispered, his eyes still wide. "I think I'm going to faint." Scarlett giggled once she realized he was exaggerating. "This is... Awesome!" he shouted. Blaise relaxed slightly in relief. He began to go crazy, pulling sets from the bags, exclaiming in delight whatever the name of the set was. And once they were all reveiled, the boxes strewn about in his excitement, he tackled both Scarlett and Blaise into a hug again. "Thank you! Thank you! You're the bestest!"

It made Scarlett's heart warm and her eyes felt dangerously moist. Merlin, she wasn't sappy. She couldn't handle this. She was going to be an emotional wreck.

"Dad, can you help me build them?" Tyler asked, pulling away and looking at Blaise with wide eyes. Blaise couldn't refuse. "I don't know what to do first! There are so many!" He groaned to himself, as if this was the most difficult decision of his life, and he began to look through the boxes. "This one!"

She had to wipe at her eyes as she stood, worried she may start crying if she didn't take care of it soon. Blaise's eyes didn't waver from Tyler's form, stacking up boxes Tyler decided not to build right away, so that the room wasn't cluttered. She hardly noticed when Julia approached her. "Come on, dear. Let's go get some tea." She didn't want to leave Tyler, but she needed to collect herself. Scarlett nodded, letting Julia take her hand, and was led towards the kitcen.

Tonks and Hestia immediately seized talking about whatever it was they were discussing and Scarlett was immediately suspicious - it definitely had to do with the war.  
"How is he?" Tonks asked.

"Wonderful," Scarlett murmured. Julia handed her a napkin, to wipe at her eyes as Scarlett felt a few tears spell over. "I'm sorry," she said immediately, dabbing at her eyes. "I never meant to get so emotional. He must think-"

"Oh, it's alright," Julia insisted, giving Scarlett a gentle smile. She turned on the tap, filling up a tea kettle and Scarlett gave Tonks an embarrassed smile.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Tonks insisted, her hair turning a soft pink, but Scarlett could tell it was by force. "We're just discussing what time we're leaving."

"You will be able to stay for dinner, right?" Julia asked, turning back around. "Oh my!" Her eyes were zeroed in on Tonks' hair. Tonks gave a smile, turning it back to brown. Julia's eyes widened in amazement.

"Sorry. Yes, we're leaving well into the night. Nine o'clock." In six hours. It was so little time to make up for years. Tonks glanced to Scarlett, as if knowing what she was thinking. "It's all the time we can spend. The ferry back is at ten, and then we're going to apparate, since the trains will be shut down for the night."

"Whatever keeps them safe," Scarlett nodded. She squeezed the napkin in her hand, worried that something may have happened they weren't telling her about. There was a sound of things clattering against each other in the living room and Scarlett jumped, fearing something may have happened, but Julia just gave a gentle laugh.

"That's just Tyler, dear. The Legos make a ridiculous sound," Julia explained.

Scarlett nodded, relaxing slightly. She glanced to Tonks, and quietly, she murmured. "You would tell me if something were wrong?"

"Of course."

She wasn't sure she believed the woman. Once tea was made, Scarlett carried her cup to the living room, sipping from it as she watched Blaise sitting on the floor, his legs crossed, a manual resting on his lap as he dug through a pile of plastic pieces, Tyler helping him in excitement.

They were bonding.

"Tyler can do that for hours," John spoke up, still by the tree. "You may not get their full attention for a while."

"It's alright," Scarlett said softly, clutching the tea closely to her. "They're having fun." Her eyes darted to the two boys. "I'm sorry we bought so much. Blaise couldn't narrow it down any further."

"It'll give Tyler plenty to do," John chuckled. He moved over to her, watching them as well. "Thank you, for coming. He's been excited for days."

Her chest fluttered. "Really?" She glanced to him, begging for him to confirm it once more.

"Absolutely. We told him as soon as you got out of school for break. He asks every day if you'll be coming that day. We wanted to keep it a surprise."

She glanced to Tyler, tears appearing in her eyes again. "You and Julia are so kind... Thank you for all you've done."

"Don't worry about it. This is payment enough. He's extremely happy." She could tell. While the boy was obviously concentrating, he was smiling widely, glancing up at Blaise every time they found a piece, and Blaise was slowly letting his guard drop, smiling back at him in the small smiles Blaise always had. "He's going to be just as tall as Blaise, no doubt. Tyler grows like a weed."

"You'd have to ask Blaise how fast he grew," Scarlett admitted quietly. "I never asked. But he does seem to take after Blaise a lot."

John was silent and Scarlett watched as Blaise listened with rapt attention as Tyler explained something about whatever they were building. Scarlett couldn't hear from where she was, but she was sure Blaise didn't understand, because his face briefly twisted into confusion, before he nodded, masking it.

"You don't understand how glad we are that the whole sex trafficking thing wasn't true." Scarlett bit her lip, glancing to John briefly. "Even though the real situation isn't any better, at least we all have that comfort that you weren't forced into anything like that... though the magic was a bit of a shock."

They didn't know about the visitors. Good, Scarlett wanted to keep it that way. "I'd imagine," Scarlett said after a moment, composing herself. "I'd known about magic my whole life, but... doing magic was such a shock. Up until I was eleven, I didn't know I could do it, but the elves taught me a few charms and they worked ... it was a brilliant moment."

"And Tyler has magic?" John questioned. Scarlett hesitated. "I mean, assuming. Both of his parents do."

"We don't know," Scarlett admitted. "It's very likely, but... we can't be sure until he actually shows signs of it."

"Signs?" John asked, giving Scarlett her full attention. She sipped from her tea before glancing to him.

"Um... accidental magic, they're called. It's what happens when someone's a child. I never displayed any, but that was because my magic was surpressed, and it spent most of its time trying to keep me alive, rather than showing outward. And I was never in a situation where I needed magic. Obviously Narcissa and Lucius knew I had some magic, but it was much too dangerous to let me use it." John still didn't seem to understand. "My brother told me that when he was younger, his cousin would chase him around the school yard and one day he jumped over some trash bins and landed on the roof. Another time, our aunt had given him a ridiculous hair cut and it grew back to full length by supper... just accidental magic bursts. They're usually very harmless."

"Usually?"

"Well he also accidentally blew up his aunt when he was thirteen..." Scarlett hurriedly went on as John paled. "But it was all righted by the Ministry and she was put back to sorts. Had flown halfway to Ireland by the time they managed to catch her, apparently. It's harmless. Tyler can't hurt anyone with it. And there is a chance he doesn't even have magic. It isn't as uncommon as some people think."

It looked as though a few years had been added to John, however. "Well, in all my years, I've never heard of such a thing. We'll be sure to keep an eye out. If anything happens-"

"Hestia will be able to handle it."

He just nodded. Glancing to Tyler, Scarlett chewed on her lip. "They've never met before. It was too dangerous, after Tyler was born. We didn't want Blaise's mother to find out about it, especially. Some Purebloods resort to drastic measures to banish any illegitimate blemishes on their houses."

"Never?" John asked, surprised. "That's... I'm sorry."

"When the war's over... I hope we can visit you often."

"I was under the impression you would be taking him into your custody when the war was over," John admitted. "Is that not true?"

"I didn't want to overstep any boundaries," Scarlett admitted. "I'm sure you've grown quite attached to him."

"He's your son," John said as an explanation. "We raised him knowing we wouldn't keep him. We'll be fine. But he belongs with you." She didn't want to say that she wouldn't survive the war - she was more sure of it every passing day. She tried not to think on it much. But Tyler... What would happen to him? "We'll take care of him... if anything should happen." Had she spoken aloud? She glanced to John, but he gave her a kind smile. "It's not hard to guess what you're thinking. We'll protect him as best we can."

"Thank you." And she didn't know how to express her thanks anymore than she felt it. As many alternates for Tyler's future she needed. As many options in case one should feel. Tyler needed plan Bs, Cs, even Zs.

Suddenly, Tyler was taking her hand. She didn't even notice the boy moving towards her, but he was pulling her towards Blaise and he sat down, waiting for her to join expectantly. Scarlett did, setting her tea cup down beside her.

"We're building a Millenium Falcon," Tyler told her. A what? She glanced to Blaise, but he lightly shrugged a shoulder, having no idea either.

Blaise showed her the instruction manual and they slowly began to build whatever it was the contraption was supposed to be. She was amazed as the many little bricks slowly turned into a large object, almost like a Muggle airplane.

"It goes through space!" Tyler said excitedly, lifting it up and making noises as he moved it around. Scarlett began to giggle at the sound, and Tyler flew it around the room for a few minutes, before he settled, excitedly grabbing another box. "This one next?"

"Anything," Blaise said immediately.

They worked in silence for a few minutes. "Tyler?" Scarlett asked suddenly. The little boy looked up from the pile of Legos, giving Scarlett a grin. "What's your favorite color?"

He thought about for a minute, as if it was a difficult question. Oh, to be young and choices be that simple. "I like blue."

"Me too," Blaise encouraged. "And then I like green." Tyler glanced to Scarlett.

Scarlett gave him a smile. "Blue is wonderful. I like red."

"Red is pretty too," Tyler insisted. He smiled to himself and glanced down to the object in his hands.

"What's your favorite animal?"

"Lions," Tyler grinned. "They growl."

Blaise snorted. "Of course you like lions."

"I have a cat, named Leo. That means lion in Latin," Scarlett said, grinning herself. Her eyes darted to Blaise, elbowing him lightly. Tyler glanced to Scarlett in interest. "And my house, at school, is called Gryffindor. Griffins are lion and eagles that are cross-bred."

"What does that mean?"

"The lions fly," Blaise shrugged, combing through the pile of pieces.

"Really?" Tyler cried. "No way! Are they real?"

"No one's ever seen one," Scarlett smiled softly. "But that doesn't mean they aren't real."

"That's cool!" Tyler whispered.

They asked questions about Tyler's life, any friends he may have had, any other facets of his life they may have missed. Anything about him they didn't know, that they could hold onto while they were separated.

At six, Julia called them to dinner and Tyler sighed before setting what he had in his hands down. "Can I sit with you?" Tyler asked, looking up at the taller teens.

"Of course," Scarlett smiled. "Tell us where to sit."

Tyler happily directed them to two seats, one on either side of a chair with a booster on it, for Tyler to sit in. Scarlett helped him up onto it before taking her seat, directly beside Tonks. She noted that Blaise was seated beside Julia, and beside her, Hestia. John sat at the head of the table.

"I think it'd be alright if we skipped grace tonight," John spoke to them. "We're all thankful for everyone that's able to be here tonight. Dig in."

The plate in front of Tyler had pre-cut ham on it, with bite sized pieces of vegetables and such. Julia must have prepared it for him. Everyone passed around items, and conversation began with Tonks mentioning how her father was a Muggleborn and questioning John about how Muggles celebrate Christmas.

"Christmas Eve, at midnight, a magical man named Santa Clause arrives and delivers presents by climbing through the chimney," John explained. "And they leave presents for the kids that live in the house, and on the fireplace, there is a stocking. If the kid was on the naughty list, Santa leaves a stocking full of coal. But if the kid has been good, the stocking is full of little trinkets and sweets."

It was fascinating. "Really?" Scarlett found herself asking. "That's amazing. How in the world does he get everywhere at once?"

"Well he visits all of the people that Celebrate Christmas. I don't know how he does it." The smile on his face was if he knew a secret. "You don't have it in the Wizarding World?"

"No," Tonks admitted. "Though our presents do appear under the tree Christmas morning." Tyler's eyes widened in fascination. "But that's because of the elves."

"Santa has elves too!" Tyler cried. "They help Santa make the toys in the North Pole."

"It's magic," John shrugged.

"He's incredibly smart," Julia praised the two teens. "He's already learned all of his colors, shapes, and recognizes the alphabet. We've managed to get him to start writing, but it's still in the early stages. He likes to teach himself things. Those Legos are a bit advanced for his age, but he handles them as if he mastered them years ago."

"Well, he definitely gets that from Scarlett," Blaise smirked, glancing towards the red-head. "She's top of the class, and learned five years in what? Two weeks?"

"Three," Scarlett muttered.

"We were planning on having him enroll in a school for the gifted," John continued. "He's mentally far above his years."

"What age is it usual for children to enroll in school?" Scarlett questioned. Would there be a chance he could go to a school? A school before Hogwarts? How many children did that? Likely just Muggleborns. A glance to Blaise told her that he wasn't aware of the practice - not for Wizard children, at least.

"Six years old," Julia admitted. "So it would have been a few years from now, at least." It was still a few years that the war could end in, and perhaps, well... perhaps he could go to a school for those academically advanced. Scarlett couldn't understand why it would be a bad idea.

"With this war that's going on," John began. "What are the odds? That things will be alright once it ends?"

Tonks dropped her gaze to her plate and even Hestia seemed uncomfortable with the question. Scarlett glanced to Blaise, and he winced. "It's, uh... it's pretty 50/50, sir." Scarlett dropped her gaze as Blaise continued, watching as Tyler happily chewed on his ham. "There are about the same number of Death Eaters as there are Order supporters."

"And... you're Order?"

"I'm neutral," Blaise shrugged. "I'm in good favor on both sides no matter who wins. I don't get involved, they don't involve me." Scarlett knew it was safer to be neutral than anything. "Scarlett's a bit more complicated."

"If I could be neutral, I would be," Scarlett admitted. "But... my hand was forced, so I'm sort of on both sides. The Dark Lord and the Malfoys provide some protection from things, but the Order is where I'd fight for if I had to choose. The Order is my home now."

"A lot of people have to play their parts in both sides," Tonks explained. "Family or loved ones are threatened by the Dark Lord, and they have to comply."

"Let's not talk about this," Julia decided. "It's Christmas. We're supposed to be celebrating." She was right. "Now, Blaise, what is it you want to do after you graduate?"

"Well..." He gave a chuckle, his fork paused over his slice of ham. "I'm from a pretty rich family. So... I've never been expected to have career aspirations." He cleared his throat, as if uncomfortable by Julia and John staring at him. "But, once everything's all dealt with, I'd like to, um, get into the Ministry somewhere. No real idea where exactly, but maybe the Department of Law Enforcement. Aurors are pretty fun. They're, uh, magical law enforcement. Sort of like, uh..."

"Police," Scarlett supplied.

"Yes," Blaise nodded. He shrugged, though, countering his earlier confidence. She had never seen him so unsure, so out of his element. It was interesting to watch. "It's a long way off, though, so... not really focused on that right now. Just living through the days."

"And you, Scarlett?"

Scarlett hesitated a moment, her gaze moving from Blaise to the Muggles. "A Healer. I'm just finished my third year of five in my apprenticeship. I'll finish year four and five next term." She gave a brief, small smile. "I want to work at the school, if I have the chance."

"Those both sound lovely," Julia insisted. "You both sound very ambitious."

"Definitely," Tonks grinned. "They're top five in their class. Scarlett is number one, and Blaise is fourth."

"Are you friends with the others?"

"Well, Granger is the second," Blaise shrugged. "A bit jealous of Scarlett's skills, but she'll get over it. Third is my best mate, Draco Malfoy."

"Malfoy..." John frowned.

"Yes, he's the son of Lucius," Scarlett nodded. She reached for a glass of a fizzing drink, eyeing it curiously before taking a sip. It tickled her nose, and it tasted strange, very sweet, but it was interesting. "What is this? It's different."

"That's soda," John explained. "It's a carbonated beverage."

"It's very different from what we have in our world," Blaise admitted. "Tickles."

"It tends to do that," Julia giggled.

The rest of dinner was filled with small talk, an attempt to avoid the war being made as much as possible. But it was inevitable when it was brought up for a comment or two. It was eight by the time dinner finished and Scarlett was dreading the next hour, knowing that she would have to say goodbye, and possibly not see him for another handful of months.

"We got you something," Scarlett said as they settled in the living room. "We weren't sure what would be the best way to thank you, so..." Blaise handed her the beaded bag and Scarlett reached inside.

"Woah!" Tyler cried. She jumped, trying to see what he was so intrigued about. "Where did your arm go?"

"It's bigger on the inside," Scarlett giggled. She pulled out a wrapped present, offering it to Julia and John. She then showed the bag to Tyler. "It's a friend of mine's. It's how we carried all of your presents. Don't you remember all those boxes fitting inside of here?"

"Oh, yeah!" Tyler gasped. "How does it happen? Can I try?"

She glanced to Blaise, but agreed he could. He reached into the bag and giggled when he obviously went past the depth of the bag.

"Oh, Scarlett, it's beautiful." Scarlett glanced up to see Julia holding the worn, but gleaming book. A magical copy of the Book of Kells.

"What is it?" Tonks asked, confused.

"It's the Book of Kells," John murmured. "This is... this looks real-"

"It's a magical copy," Scarlett suplied. "Not real, but it will pass as it if compared. It looks exactly like the original, but it won't age or anything. Severus has a few connections at Trinity College in Dublin." She gave a sheepish smile, before glancing to Blaise. "Blaise did a bit of research, and he found out it was pretty important to Muggle religion, and I know you worked in a church."

"It's wonderful. Priceless," Julia insisted. "We can't accept this."

"Please, it's the least we could have done," Blaise shrugged.

Tyler stuck his head inside of the bag next, and Scarlett giggled, feeling him climb on top of her lap. "What do you see in there?"

"It's pretty black," Tyler's muffled voice called. "And really big!" She laughed quietly, and he pulled himself out of the bag, moving so that he was seated between her and Blaise, grinning to himself. "Do all bags do that?"

"Nope, just this one," Scarlett insisted. "And a few other things, but it's rare."

"That's awesome! Can I have one next year for Christmas?"

"Whatever you want," Blaise grinned.

"Does this mean that I get to live with you now?" Tyler questioned quietly. He looked so hopeful, so expectant.

Scarlett smiled gently. "Not yet... But soon."

"Soon?" He glanced towards Blaise, before looking to the others in the room. He didn't seem to understand. Scarlett supposed she would have been confused in his place, as well. If he had been raised knowing that when he finally met his parents, he would live with them, it was the general assumption.

"There's this guy that's trying to scare a lot of people," Scarlett explained carefully. "And we have to make sure that he doesn't hurt anyone anymore... When he's put in jail, we'll be able to live together. And Uncle John and Aunt Julia can visit us every single day, if they want to, or maybe we'll move nearby, so we aren't far away... and we'll be happy."

"I like happy."

Scarlett smiled brightly, ruffling the short curly hair on his head. "Everyone does, Tyler."

It was a tearful goodbye, at least on Scarlett's part. She knew they had to leave, yet she held him tightly, breathing in the scent of paints and a bit of syrup. "Have fun, alright? We'll see each other soon."

"Bye, Mum."

She nodded, sucking in a breath to stop her tears from falling, and stood, stepping back. Blaise's arm went around her shoulders, as if offering comfort. It worked, but it still hurt her heart hurt to leave him - knowing she could never see him again.

Blaise gestured to Julia and John with a jerk of his head. "Be good for them, yeah, bud?" Tyler lit up with the nickname and he nodded immediately. Scarlett would have guessed he'd agree to anything he was so happy. "We probably won't see each other until the summer, but I'll pick out a few more Legos."

"Really?" Tyler gasped.

"Anything you want," Blaise nodded. He took a deep breath. "I'm so glad I got to meet you, bud."

"We love you," Scarlett insisted, feeling emotion clogging her throat. "And we'll never stop."

"Never," Blaise agreed. "Just be careful, alright? Don't leave the property line, and listen to everything Hestia, or Tonks, or whoever magical visits says without any questions. They're trying to protect you."

Tyler nodded immediately. "When will I see the castle?"

"Not until you're eleven," Scarlett promised.

Tyler groaned, but it seemed to be all in good fun. "Can I write to you?"

"No, it's too dangerous," Blaise said, and he attempted to sound neutral, but it turned a little sad. "But we'll see you."

He deflated, but nodded. John placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come on, Tyler. Let's clean up before bed." Tyler nodded and headed inside. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," Scarlett said softly. "Be careful, please."

All John did was nod and then they were moving away, ready to head to the ferry for the night. The entire trip back to the Burrow was silent. When they got to the wardline, Tonks canceling the Cauterwaling charm, she felt Blaise's hand take hers. "I'll give you two some time. Just don't leave the wards," Tonks said after a second, moving towards the Burrow.

"Thanks, for letting me come along."

"Of course you were coming along," Scarlett countered, smiling. "Why wouldn't you?"

"I enjoyed today... I'll always remember it."

"You act like we'll never see each other again."

"You never know what can happen with the war," Blaise shrugged. "I'm just glad I got to meet him." He wasn't making any sense. She stared at him, frowning as she thought over what he was saying.  
"What's happened? Has... Has he called you?"

"I don't know. I won't know until it's too late." She knew that was true. You didn't know until the Dark Lord decided he needed you. "Just... if I refuse-"

"Don't you dare," Scarlett hissed. His lips twitched into a smirk at the sudden fierceness she spoke with. "Don't you dare, Blaise." The thought of him refusing the mark, of dying. It was horrifying. She felt tears fill her eyes and it felt like she was leaving Tyler behind all over again. "We survive. That's what we do." He raised an eyebrow. "Don't leave me alone."

The words weren't meant how she said them, but he seemed to understand that. His throat bobbed and he wrapped his arms around Scarlett. She breathed in Blaise's scent, felt his steady heartbeat. "I won't," he promised, his voice low, deep in his chest, and it comforted her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

She just held him tightly. "How many will he try to take away from me? Severus, Tyler, you - Please, don't let him take you, too."

"Nothing..." Blaise faltered slightly, and his grip on her tightened, and she felt his chin rest in her hair. "Nothing can take me away from you." Her arms gripped his waist tightly. "Alright? It won't happen again. You won't be on your own again. There will be someone there for you, always. Whether it's me, or Snape, or McLaggen, or your grandmother. We'll always be there."

She calmed, but didn't release her grip. "We survive. That's what we do."

"And we always will," Blaise agreed. "But it's freezing out here, and your fingers might not survive if you keep standing out here." She felt a giggle build in her throat. "We survive. And no one can change that. No one will take anyone away from you again."

She pulled away, chewing on her lip anxiously. "I thought I was over it. Tyler's safe. I understand Lucius's reasoning, I understand why, I forgive him. I don't care. But..." She squeezed her eyes shut. "The nightmares, Blaise... everyone's taken away from me. Everyone dies, everyone's life is taken from them."

"It's just ..." Blaise gripped her hands. "It's like an irrational fear."

"My boggart," Scarlett murmured. And suddenly she understood. She didn't fear them dead, not just for being dead. She feared them being taken, feared anyone she loved being ripped from her arms.

"Yes," Blaise nodded. "But... can I give you some advice?" She raised an eyebrow. "Whenever you feel like that, whenever you feel scared, whenever you feel like someone will be taken from you... remember this. You can fight now. You can protect whoever you want to protect. You can kill whoever you need to. You can fight, so that no one will be taken from you."

"I can fight," she repeated quietly. It was a comfort. Severus had taught her how to fight. Severus had taught her how to protect people. She could protect people now. "I can fight," she murmured.

"And so can I. We survive." A crack sounded and Severus was standing there, likely notified of their arrival back. "I guess that's my cue."

"Unfortunately," Severus drawled darkly. "Mrs. Weasley has invited you to dessert, and I was threatened to accompany or I would be forced to attend every dinner this week."

"Sounds like she intimidates you, Professor," Blaise grinned, his cheek returning.

Severus's eyes darted to Scarlett, noting her red eyes, before glancing to Blaise, an eyebrow raised in question. Blaise shrugged lightly. "Mrs. Weasley is terrifying," Severus stated dryly. "Will you go inside before you freeze, or will Hogwarts be two students short at the start of term?"

"No, professor," Blaise grinned. "Does Mrs. Weasley know you cower when she threatens you? I'd hate for her to find out-"

"I'd hate for you to have detention for the rest of your life, Mr. Zabini," Severus snapped. "Get inside."

Scarlett laughed, before linking arms with Blaise. She offered her other arm to Severus, but the man just glared at it, waiting for them to get moving towards the Burrow. They survived. It was what they did.


	45. The Minister's Ball

After Mrs. Weasley forced dessert down their throats, despite them insisting that they had already eaten, Blaise said his goodbyes, Scarlett passed the beaded bag back to Hermione, and she retreated to her room, dressing down into her pajamas.

And then she settled on her bed, Leo curling up on her lap. "How many people are going to get hurt, Leo?" she eyed the cat in her lap, its tail flicking.

"A lot more before this ends," Hermione spoke up, entering the room. She had Crookshanks in her arms, and was patting his head lovingly. "How was it?"

Scarlett swallowed, dropping her gaze. "I don't think you really care about my answer."

Hermione paused beside her bed, before nodding. "You're right. I don't."

Scarlett listened to her settle down in her bed, and glanced to where Ginny was asleep. And once Hermione's breathing evened out, she set Leo down beside her, pulling her knees to her chest, and Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut. The image of her boggart plagued her the entire night, and she found she could get little sleep.

When Ginny woke up, excited for the day - she had already declared she was going to help get Scarlett ready for the Minister's ball that night - she immediately noticed that Scarlett seemed a bit out of it.

"Did you sleep bad?" Ginny asked, moving from her bed to sit at the foot of Scarlett's own. Scarlett gave the girl a shrug, attempting to smile.

"No, I just wake up early, and I didn't want to wake anyone else up," Scarlett said quietly, the lie almost too easy. "That's all."

"Well you look tired, so you need to sleep. I think I have..." Ginny stood, rummaging in her trunk until she found a vial of potion. "Dreamless sleep," she stated proudly. "I have nightmares sometimes too. Sleep for the morning. I'll wake you up for lunch. We need you fed and energized."

"I'm going to a ball, not running across the country," Scarlett laughed quietly. She accepted the vial though. "Thanks, Ginny."

"This is just your first ball. That's why it's so important," Ginny grinned. "Once you and Cormac are both out of school, living together in a gorgeous London apartment or something, and he's practically Minister, guess who's going to have parties to go to every week?"

Scarlett flushed. "You're exaggerating, Ginny. If I completely mess up tonight, I'm not going to be able to show my face-"

Ginny grinned. "Don't worry about it. I have it all planned out."

_ _

Ginny was barely able to finish lunch before she sprung from her seat, dragging Scarlett with her. "Don't disturb us! I have to get Scarlett ready!" Ginny called down to the others. And it was the last Scarlett knew she'd see of the Burrow inhabitants until she was released from Ginny's hold.

"Shower," Ginny instructed sharply once they reached their bedroom.

"But I already took one today," Scarlett insisted, frowning as Ginny tossed to Scarlett a pair of shorts and a tank-top, Ginny's own clothes, not Scarlett's own.

"Shower, now. I need wet hair to do this hairstyle," Ginny insisted. "Don't argue just shower. We're wasting time. I'll get your dress out and get the wrinkles out... Merlin, we should have started earlier."

Scarlett sincerely doubted so. "And be sure to shave!" Ginny called after her. Scarlett felt her cheeks heat up, but did as requested of her in the shower, conditioning her chair so that it would dry smooth, and then rubbing vanilla scented lotion on her legs and arms, to give her a calm, nice scent.

But Ginny had barely nodded her approval before she was shoved onto her trunk, Ginny kneeling on the bed behind Scarlett as the towel was torn from her hair.

"Alright, so we're going to do an up-do, and it's going to be elaborate. But you can't touch it at all once it's on. Merlin, should we put the dress on first?"

"I don't think I need to slide it over my head-"

"But you need to get the dress on... yes, dress first. We'll just have to be careful. I won't look." Scarlett appreciated that Ginny remembered about Scarlett's scars. The dress was laid out on Ginny's bed and Scarlett shed her tank-top and shorts before sliding the dress on, fully intent on being as quick as possible. A quick cast of her wand, and her back looked as smooth as the day she was born, Scarlett would venture to guess. Looking in the small mirror, she looked absolutely gorgeous already.

"Alright, is it on right?" Scarlett questioned, turning to face Ginny. The red-head nodded, grinning brightly.

"You're on the potion, right? Because Cormac won't be able to keep his hands off of you. Sit." Scarlett flushed, but sat, her gaze traveling to the dress she wore, before she sat.

"Are you sure this isn't too much? I can change-"

"No," Ginny insisted. "You're gorgeous. That much is obvious. But you are on the potion, right?"

"Of course." Though Scarlett didn't see why it would be necessary. They weren't like that.. yet. Would tonight change anything? Ginny seemed to guess it would. Ginny's fingers pulled at Scarlett's hair, tugging it every which way, until she decided on a hair do, using her wand to twist each section of hair into place.

"You're so lucky. Dad always dreams about going to these things, but he's not high up enough in the Ministry to get an invite. No one cares about Muggle Artifacts. And well... Order members aren't in the Minister's good graces at the moment." Scarlett imagined. "But they protect this place, so we can't complain, right?" Scarlett nodded, but Ginny smacked her shoulder lightly.

"Stop moving!" Ginny scolded. "Now I have to start this section all over again." Scarlett winced but didn't move again.

"And then there's the whole Minister's Financial Advisor thing... Cormac could be a worse pick. He certainly is the best. Except for the Minister's son himself, you know. I don't think anyone can sway the Minister as much as Cormac's dad can." Scarlett swallowed. She didn't need to know why Cormac was any more valuable than he was. "I think you'll really like his family. I only met them once, in Diagon Alley - and it was sort of on accident. His mum's wicked nice and his dad's a bit... well, a bit like Mad-Eye, without all the tales of violence and such. Intense." Cormac hadn't mentioned... Merlin, she hadn't even thought to really ask what exactly she was going to be getting herself into.

"He's a firm Order supporter, though. At least, that's what Dad says. He's completely against you-know-who and everything he stands for. Which is good. And probably why Cormac didn't turn out like Malfoy."

"I don't know how to dance."

Ginny's hand paused, and Scarlett felt maybe it wasn't the right thing to say. "What?"

"I don't know how to dance."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Ginny gasped. "Oh, Merlin, I need to finish this quickly, then, and then your make-up... Should I call the twins? They're excellent dancers, but they might mess up your hair... Bill. I'll call up Bill."

"Is that a big problem?" Scarlett questioned hesitantly, feeling a few pins be shoved into her hair quickly as Ginny tried to finish. "Will it be a big problem?"

"Bill will know more about the ball than me, but this is what I know about it. Everyone has to dance to this song around midnight. The Christmas Waltz or something. And it's a very traditional Waltz which isn't that hard to dance. And everything else that night will be similar to it. Cormac will lead so you don't need to worry. The ball usually ends at around two in the morning, if memory serves. And there will be Prophet reporters there and just about anyone else that has a say in the media."

Scarlett bit her lip, worried. "So it'll be in the papers."

"Of course!" Ginny cried, surprised she'd even need to ask. "This is the biggest event the Ministry does all year."

Oh Merlin... This was... "Cormac didn't make it seem like such a big deal," Scarlett said after a moment of worrying her lip. "And he didn't seem worried when I told him I couldn't dance-"

"Have you ever danced... ever?"

"No."

She never had an opportunity. House-elves didn't dance. Why would she have? Merlin, she was going to make a fool of herself, a fool of Cormac, and a fool of his parents... Ginny finished the hair-do but wouldn't let Scarlett see, and then climbed off of the bed to kneel in front of Scarlett, staring on make-up. "This is going to be really hard to come off," Ginny informed her. "The twins made this stuff to withstand anything straight of a good duel. So, it won't come off, don't worry about that." At least she wouldn't ruin it. "Waterproof, glamour proof, and polyjuice proof, just to name a few. So, don't go morphing into Mad-Eye with this stuff on, or the Prophet will never shut up about Mad-Eye Moody wearing make-up."

"They might think he's gone mad, I'm sure," Scarlett agreed. "I'll be sure to restrain myself."

Ginny laughed quietly, but did so many things to Scarlett's face, she was unsure if her face still looked like it used to. Ginny had certainly coated every inch of it in something. "And your bracelet..." Ginny retreived the item from her bed, securing it around Scarlett's wrist, before she helped Scarlett into the heels. "Perfect. Why don't you start walking around in those? Get used to them. I'll go get Bill."

Scarlett nodded, carefully pushing herself to her feet. It was definitely going to take some getting used to. They were higher than the school uniform shoes, that was for sure. Those were very tiny wedges for the heel, but this... She doubted she'd get accustomed to them in the time it took to head to the Ministry.

She turned, spotting the mirror hanging on the back of the door and was quite surprised with how she looked. Nothing like herself, and much older. Perhaps just a few years older than her proper age. Her lips were a blood red and curved along every line of her natural lip curve, and her hair was pinned so beautifully, she was surprised to see a few glittering pins as well. And it was her eyes that really took her away. They looked almost smokey with gold and black layered in such a way she doubted the color could have been created by hand.

Merlin, Ginny was amazing at make-up.

"You have to teach her how to dance, Bill," Scarlett heard Ginny's voice pleading with him as she seemed to be dragging him up the stairs. "She can't just go there completely blind."

And then the door opened and Bill was standing there, his eyes widening slightly as he spotted Scarlett. "You look..."

"Gorgeous, I know," Ginny said off-handedly. "But she still can't dance, so get to it. We don't have time."

He stepped closer to her, offering a hand. Scarlett eyed it a moment, knowing that this was going to be embarrassing. Once she took a wobbly step forward, she took his hand and he steadied her.

"It's simple," Bill promised. "I step towards you, you step in the same direction. We sort of just follow each other. And we just circle. It's much simpler than Ginny's making it out to be." Scarlett took a deep breath, nodding. "Now, uh, I hold your waist and your hand." Scarlett flushed but nodded once more and Bill gripped her waist delicately before grasping hands to the side.

"Okay," Scarlett said carefully. "And we just... step?"

"With a pattern. Just follow my lead. McLaggen will lead you, too." Scarlett nodded and glanced down at their feet as they moved. It was complicated and she stepped on his feet multiple times.

"Sorry!" she apologized the fifteenth time as he jumped slightly as her heel nearly impaled him. "I'm so sorry-"

"Hey, it's fine," Bill insisted.

"Bill's got big feet," Ginny spoke up. "Scarlett, stop looking at your feet. You're overthinking." Scarlett's head snapped up and she flushed again.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Now, the night is going to be pretty basic. You'll get there, take your seats, dinner. None of the dances are mandatory except for the midnight dance," Bill told her carefully. "It's just a simple waltz, just like this. Don't worry about it. And the party ends around two in the morning, so you'll probably spend most of it talking."

"Ministry officials," Scarlett said under her breath. "Wonderful."

"For only six months, you've climbed the ladder pretty well," Bill commented. "And Ministry balls, well... they're only once a year, so don't be too worried."

She was just worried about making a fool of herself. After a few minutes of successfully avoiding Bill's feet, he released her and nodded. "I think you're ready."

"Merlin," Scarlett breathed. "I'm supposed to be nervous, right?"

"You'll be fine," Ginny promised. But the fluttering of Scarlett's stomach, like stones were rolling around, made her feel almost sick. "You're beautiful, you've got a smoking boyfriend to dance with tonight, and did I mention every woman there is going to be wishing they were you?"

"You mentioned it," Bill chuckled. "But she is right, Scarlett. Just be careful. Don't wander off."

Don't wander off. No, she knew that it was really an empty threat to her. If she did wander off, and Death Eaters found her... she was protected, sort of. Protected from death at least. And who else would grab her? Though, thinking like that would most likely get her in trouble. "I won't," she promised Bill. "I'll be fine." She sort of had to be.

"Cormac will be here in twenty minutes," Ginny said suddenly. "Get out, Bill. We're not done-"

"Oh, no, I thought we were," Scarlett groaned. "Ginny, please, I think I'm done."

"Right, that's my cue. Have fun, Scarlett."

"Thank you, Bill," Scarlett said as sincerely as possible, trying to avoid Ginny's gleam. "I appreciate it."

"Anytime." Bill took one last glance between the two red-headed women before leaving the room.

Ginny grinned. "Alright, so... you ready?"

Scarlett took a deep breath. Not really. She felt even more nervous than before. "As ever." Maybe she was lying so that she felt better. She didn't know. But it was a trip that would make her feel better - once she finished it. Courage.

"It won't be that bad," Ginny promised. "Just take a deep breath." Scarlett followed instructions, filling her lungs before she exhaled. "Better?"

"Sort of," Scarlett admitted. A crack of apparation sounded and the caterwalling charm went off. Her nerves instantly returned.

"Right, that's Cormac. Come on."

"I don't think I can do this," Scarlett said suddenly, sucking in a gulp of air. "I mean, I'm the worst choice, really. I can't survive at a ball-"

"You are a fierce Death Eater and Order member," Ginny snapped. "You can do this. I promise."

That was completely different. War was ... different. Scarlett took a few deep breaths, before Molly called for her. "Show time," Ginny said with a grin. "Come on. Knock him dead."

She still couldn't walk in her heels, let alone dance, but she gathered her skirt in her hand, and followed Ginny down the stairs. She could hear voices, Mrs. Weasley notably, and took another deep breath before Ginny practically pushed her through the door of the living room.

Cormac looked smart, very smart, with black and white dress robes and a handsome green tie that matched her dress. His hair was combed, parted, and his shoes polished. Merlin, he looked... Well, he certainly cleaned up well. He paused in his conversation with Mrs. Weasley as he spotted her.

"Merlin-" He cleared his throat, and Scarlett flushed. "Scarlett you look... beautiful."

"Quite dashing yourself," Scarlett admitted. She let go of her skirt, stepping carefully in her heels. "I might break an ankle tonight in these contraptions. They're deadly."

Cormac laughed. "Good thing mum's a healer. You ready to go?"

Ginny passed her a bag. "Everything's packed, including his present." Scarlett trusted her enough to believe her. Afterall, why wouldn't she pack everything. "Have fun. And Scarlett?" Scarlett took the clutch carefully. "You're a teenager. Have fun like one."

Right. She was eighteen. And normal eighteen year olds had fun at parties like this, right?

He led her outside, and she was a bit wobbly on her heels, but they managed to get to the path for the wardline, where he took her arm tightly. "You really do look amazing, Scarlett."

She flushed. "Thank you. Where are we apparating to? The Ministry or-"

"Yeah," Cormac nodded, clearing his throat. "The Ministry. You have your wand on you, right?"

"Of course," Scarlett snorted. "We're in a war, Cormac."

"Right, um, they'll ask for it, at the Ministry, just for identification." Oh, that seemed reasonable. "For security purposes."

"Well, at least it'll be safe," she admitted. "I'm a tad nervous... Bill taught me how to dance really briefly, but I'm afraid it's a bit attrocious, and ... I'm not able to truly get into it... and tonight could be a disaster." The arm that wasn't gripping his own was lifting her skirt out of the mud as they left the path to get into the wardline. Thank Merlin her shoes would clean themselves. The dress she didn't want to risk.

"It's just one dance. Don't worry about it," Cormac grinned. "You're great at everything else."

"Except for dancing, I promise," she laughed quietly. "Do you know who will be there?"

"Anyone that means anything to the Ministry at the moment," Cormac shrugged. They paused at the wardline. "I, uh, got you something."

She raised an eyebrow, glancing up at him. "You did? Why? You didn't have to-"

"It's, uh, sort of your Christmas gift," he admitted, as if he was embarrassed, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a wooden box nearly the size of her palm. "I really hope you like it, and it goes with your dress and everything... I made sure-"

She took it from him carefully, unwinding herself from his arm, and gently lifted the lid of the box. Her breath left her in a gasp. "Cormac... this is beautiful!" It was a necklace, a lion resting in the middle of the box, with a golden chain disappearing into the soft cushion beneath it. And the lion gave a silent roar, moving as it seemed to come to life. "Oh, Cormac, I love it."

"I can put it on you, if you want to wear it," Cormac offered. "Or I can just keep it in my pocket. There's no pressure or anything."

She glanced up at him, her eyes feeling watery. "This is why Ginny wouldn't let me buy anything but a bracelet, isn't it? She knew?"

"Sort of," he shrugged.

She glanced back down to the box. "Can you please put it on me?" Her fingers touched the mane of the lion, and she knew it must have cost a fortune. "Thank you, so much... I have your present too, but I'll give it to you later, because it requires a bit of an explanation."

"Of course," Cormac said immediately and nearly fumbled as he took the necklace from the box, gently wrapping it around her neck to put it on. It felt warm against her skin, despite the cool air around them. "Do I get a hint?"

"Of course not," she giggled. "Why on earth would I tell you what I got you?"

"Good point," he grinned. The necklace rested just under the neckline of her gown, between her breasts, and it was tucked safely away, so that there would be nothing dangerous. "It's a portkey, too. If you're ever in danger, and... if you ever need to get away from... from where you go." Her meetings. "It'll take you directly to my home." It made it all the more precious. "Regardless of what the future holds, you'll be safe there. Our wards are as strong as Hogwarts, and even harder to break. I just want you to be safe. And... and whoever you need to keep safe, you can go there too, with them. You know who I mean, and..."

"Oh, Cormac," Scarlett murmured, touched. Her heart had nearly swelled out of her chest, and she hugged him tightly, kissing him softly. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me," she murmured. Pulling away, she hesitated slightly. "Okay, well, one of the best things."

He chuckled. "I'll take that. Because you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, too." He slid his arm into her own, and took a deep breath. "Ready?"

She wasn't, but she nodded anyway. She wanted to stay there, in that moment, to be in that bubble, where the war didn't exist, it was just them, but she couldn't. They had somewhere to be. So he apparated.

The Ministry atrium was beautiful. Besides the hundreds of Floo fireplaces that lined the entrance hall, the fountain with the background of Ministry worker offices were lit with decorations ranging from tall Christmas trees to floating candles that reminded Scarlett of Hogwarts.

"It's beautiful."

"Wait 'til we get to the ballroom," Cormac murmured to her. There was a miniscule line were Aurors were asking for wands and comparing them with registries of what, Scarlett assumed, was of all the records for who owned which wand.

"Your wand?" an Auror demanded of her. Scarlett fished it out of her clutch carefully. "What is the make?" he questioned, examining it himself, so she knew he already knew.

"Holly, Unicorn Hair, Rigid, thirteen and a quarter inches," Scarlett informed him. He checked a large book beside him, before nodding to her.

"Welcome to the Ministry, Miss Prince."

She was given her wand back, and she held it for only a moment to feel its comforting warmth, before Cormac was beside her once more.

"It's so odd, how our wands identify us more than anything," Scarlett said quietly as he led them down a series of hallways. "How it is the one magic that cannot be tricked. It even knows us before we know ourselves."

"Becoming a wandcrafter takes nearly a decade in training," Cormac admitted, pulling open a door for them. Inside, the room was so glowingly white that she squinted until her eyes got used to it, and once it did, Cormac's voice was only background as she took in the ballroom. "My grandfather on my mum's side was a wandmaker. He trained all over the world under nearly five different apprentices until he was ready to begin crafting. And then it took another five years to learn how to assemble a wand. It takes a lot of magic. Most of the wands in Olivanders have been there for centuries, waiting for their witch or wizard."

"Fascinating," she murmured. She was trying to pay attention, truly, but Scarlett found the atmosphere around them too intoxicating. The walls were filled with crystal ice sculptures, and each table was lined with icicles, and snowflakes were falling from the ceiling, but the room was a nice warm temperature. Merlin... "This is beautiful." Indeed. There were white trees that littered the outskirts of the room, and Scarlett even spotted an orchestra warming up.

"They try to outdo themselves every year," Cormac stated, glancing around. "Personally, I like three years ago when they accidentally did red and gold and green, making a lot of Gryffindors and Slytherins angry. The entire night, people were switching seats so they could sit at their house tables." Scarlett giggled at what she pictured.

"Are your parents already here?"

"Uh... they should be..." Cormac glanced around, craning his neck to get a good view through the crowd. "Let's see..." She too began to glance around, mostly taking in more ice sculptures, but Cormac suddenly stood straight, no longer craning, and gently guided her arm so she was looking in the same direction as he. "That's them," Cormac murmured. She spotted an elegant looking blonde woman standing besides a tall, severe looking man that resembled Cormac. His parents.

"I would like to go home," Scarlett murmured back. "I can't meet your parents-"

Cormac laughed, drawing the attention of a few people nearby, and his parents. His mother seemed to light up as she spotted her son. "Relax. I'm not leaving you alone with them." It didn't calm her nerves. This was important. Meeting his parents... well, it was very serious, and if she were to leave a bad first impression? Nevermind that the Daily Prophet had no doubt already done that for her. She couldn't do this.

"Oh, no..." If they didn't like her, what would happen? Would they demand Cormac break up with her? Could they?

"Scarlett, relax. It's going to be fine. Who have you met that has hated you?'

"Crabbe and Goyle, Hermione, Marcus Flint, most of the Death Eaters, Mad-Eye, and-"

"And nothing," Cormac insisted. "You'll be fine. Dad doesn't bite. Mum on the otherhand-"

He really wasn't helping. She felt as green as her dress. "Cormac-"

But they were in front of his parents and she couldn't say anymore. She gave a timid smile, her grip on Cormac's arm tight. "Mum, Dad, this is Scarlett Prince, my girlfriend." Mrs. McLaggen's smile seemed to just get larger, and Mr. McLaggen's eyes shifted to Scarlett, his face unreadable.

"Oh, Cormac writes about you all the time," Mrs. McLaggen gushed, surging forward and taking Scarlett's hand, kissing both of the red-head's cheeks. Scarlett's eyes widened a bit in surprise at the sudden affection. "And he hasn't stopped talking about you since he stepped off that train." She flushed.

"Oh... Well, if it's any consolation, he talks about you and your husband all the time as well," Scarlett admitted, glancing to Cormac.

"Well, he certainly didn't exaggerate your beauty. You look beautiful, darling." Scarlett flushed immediately.

"As do you. The red is lovely," Scarlett returned the compliment.

"Oh, you're a sweetheart. Cormac, I like her. Don't scare her away," Mrs. McLaggen warned. Cormac just laughed.

"Don't intend to."

"Yes, well, let's get to our seats, shall we?" Mr. McLaggen stated suddenly. Mrs. McLaggen glanced to him, as if surprised, before she nodded.

"Of course," she smiled, glancing back to the teens. "Scarlett, have you ever been to a dance before?"

"Of course she hasn't, Elizabeth," Mr. McLaggen stated sharply. Scarlett's answer died in her throat. "Let's go."

"I don't think your father likes me," Scarlett murmured once they were out of earshot. Cormac wrapped their arms together, and led her towards a few tables, name cards placed in front of each plate.

"Welcome aboard," Cormac said cheekily. "He doesn't like me either."

Following him, she found that their table contained his parents, the Minister himself, and his wife. One of the most influential tables of the Wizarding World. Good Merlin above, she was going to have dinner with the Minister.

"Scarlett, this is Rufus Scrimgeour and his wife, Sophia," Cormac introduced.

"Pleasure," Scarlett smiled politely. She thought of the Dark Lord. What would happen if she was found talking to the Minister himself? Would he excuse her for it? Would he punish her? Perhaps she should have thought over agreeing more thoroughly. How was she to know she would be sitting with the Minister? But she wasn't, not really. He was across the table, between his wife and Mr. McLaggen, and Scarlett was beside Mrs. McLaggen and Cormac. And with Mrs. Scrimgeour, Cormac was beside her.

"Miss Snape, it's a pleasure," the Minister nodded politely.

"Oh, it's Prince. I don't go by Snape," Scarlett admitted. "It's not on the registry as Snape at any rate."

"Of course, my apologies."

"Sinestra Vector is my sister," Sophia Scrimgeour suddenly spoke. "She says that you're currently working on how to solve a arithmatic equation for the time stream convergences in time travel victims."

Scarlett glanced at her in surprise. "Yes. Professor Vector was very kind to ask me to assist her in her research next term."

"She's been working on the problem for twenty years," Sophia insisted. "She must truly believe you'll be able to help her solve it. Do you have a proclivity for Arithmancy, dear?"

"Oh, not truly. But I've been applying some equations towards my Healer program studies," Scarlett admitted. "I've been asking Professor Vector about a few equations, and she mentioned a ward at St. Mungo's dedicated to time travel victims that have crossed their own time streams. I'm hoping to use my research with her theory to create my final project for my Healer studies."

"Ambitious," Elizabeth commented. "I'm sure Cormac's mentioned that I heal at St. Mungo's."

"At least a million times," Scarlett smiled.

"Well, if you ever consider applying for an apprenticeship there, I would be more than willing to put in a good word."

"Oh my, Sinestra's already written a letter of recommendation, she's just waiting for her to ask," Sophia laughed.

"I'm pretty sure every professor has one ready for her," Cormac added, causing Scarlett to flush lightly. "She's practically graduated and the professors worship the grounds she walks on."

"That's not true," Scarlett insisted, flushing darkly. "I just like to put extra time into their classes than most students."

Cormac smirked, glancing towards the Minister. "Overachiever."

"Well, I'm sure you've got something to say about the goblin crisis."

"Goblin crisis?" Scarlett asked, confused. "I wasn't aware there was a goblin crisis."

"The goblins that work in Gringotts believe that their pay should increase by twenty percent due to 'emotional strain' caused by the war," Mr. McLaggen stated dryly. "It's gold the Ministry cannot lend due to the war effort and the costs of funding the Auror department."

"Oh," Scarlett murmured. She hadn't heard. No newspaper seemed to talk about it.

"It's a secret within the Ministry, but I'm sure you'll do well to keep this quiet," the Minister drew out. "What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you agree with the goblins?"

Scarlett thought about it for a moment. "Well, they are the safeguards of Wizarding Britain's money. It's likely that they are inclined to feel entitled to the gold they protect. It's a form of narcissism, I suppose. They care only for their possession of gold, regardless of if it is their property or not. It's how goblins have lived for thousands of years, and it's why they were chosed to protect the money in return for a promise that any unclaimed money upon a wizard's death would go to them."

"So they should get more gold."

"Oh, absolutely not," Scarlett admitted. The Minister looked surprised by her declaration. "They safe-guard our money, do they not? To increase their wages would put the entire war effort at jeopardy, and it would also make them want more in the future. Since their wages are comprised of the Ministry's taxes split for them, with the uninherited riches, they are likely the most wealthy community in the world." Scarlett gave a small shrug. "It's not like they are becoming poor, Minister. In fact, with the war, it's likely they will profit off of it a fair bit. Many younger people that have their own small fortunes may not feel the need for a will, believing them safe. If they were to die, their money, if they have no next of kin, would default to Gringotts. Between the thousands that have or will die, they've probably made upwards of a million galleons in the last three years."

The Minister pursed his lips, glancing towards the McLaggen patriarch. Mr. McLaggen was merely rather smug looking, reminding her of when Cormac looked a bit arrogant. "I see... I was a proponent for the increase in their wages."

"Oh," Scarlett said, cleared her throat uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, Minister. I didn't mean to-"

"You present a fair argument," the Minister admitted.

"Though, it should be reminded that goblins, as well as other magical creatures - such as house elves and werewolves, are capable of feelings and deserve rights. If they still receive the same wages as they have when Gringotts was first established, obviously with inflation and other things, their wages wouldn't be as much as they once were, so they may feel it is an injustice given to them. It could anger them and lead them to become increasingly difficult through the war, which is probably the last thing you want or need, Minister."

"So I should give them the raise," the Minister deduced.

"Well," Scarlett considered, wincing slightly. "It would, of course, depend on a lot of factors that I don't really understand. The budget of the Ministry, the available funds, how much you're spending on other departments, the goblin community's activities, other magical creature's wages and how they compare. It's all susceptible."

The Minister hummed, his dark eyes watching her for a moment, before glancing to Perseus McLaggen. "We'll need to discuss it more in length, it seems."

"How could you possibly have come up with all of that on the spot," Sophia murmured. "You said you didn't know anything about the goblin crisis."

"I... Well, I combined my History of Magic text with my Care of Magical Creatures and a few creature rights proponents I've read about in the paper," Scarlett admitted, her voice a bit shyer than just moments before. "I apologize if anything was incorrect."

"She's pretty good with thinking fast," Cormac complimented. "Any problem and she's the first with a solution."

"Well, not really," Scarlett admitted. "Any problem I have any idea on how to help, I can. But... I can't tell you how to end the war or anything."

They laughed, seeming to find that statement funny. She didn't intend for it to be funny. It was the truth. She couldn't tell them, because she didn't really know much about it. She knew that Harry had to do it, and that he was Chosen before he was even born. But she didn't know anything about why. No one did, except for Harry and Dumbledore.

And they certainly weren't going to tell her issues he wanted her to weigh in on. It made her feel like she was being evaluated, like Severus was testing her on something she read. Werewolf rights, which she hesitantly supported, house-elf regulations, time travel regulations, and even methods of weeding out Death Eaters from the Ministry, which she admitted she didn't know much about. The only way she knew was to imprison them, and if they saw a rise in arrests, it will likely scare people into hiding, and wouldn't justify the means.

"An attempt to arrest them must be swift, sir," Scarlett admitted. "I feel like they would scare easily, and ... it must be simultaneous. To wait any longer than necessary would warn others. Just as it would be the case if you were to do this and arrest Order members." Scarlett gave a shrug. "People don't like the idea of Azkaban, so they tend to hide from it."

"Yes, they do," the Minister agreed. He glanced to Mr. McLaggen. "Do we have records of Death Eaters from the first war?"

"All those with a mark, yes," Mr. McLaggen admitted. "We ran a strict search at the fall of the first war."

A list of all of the Death Eaters from the first war. It was dangerous information to be had. She wished they would stop talking about the Ministry, but that was likely all they could talk about. It was all they were consumed with, it was the center of the Dark Lord's plans. He would take over the Ministry soon, Mr. Scrimgeour as Minister or not.

He rose suddenly and Scarlett was surprised, but Cormac leaned to her ear and murmured, "He's got to give a speech."

As Scrimgeour began to tinker at his glass, the room fell silent. "Welcome, all. Friends, family, colleagues. Supporters or traitors, whichever you may be called. We are gathered to celebrate the end of a year, that has brought grief, love, and fear to us all. The Wizarding World is experiencing the dark days of war once more, and it is with regret that we are not ending this year on a good note. But it is my sincerest hope that this war shall end within the new year.

"The Ministry has lost too many to their beliefs. Your friends, your family, have fallen in a war that has risen so unexpectedly, we were caught unaware. How many of us have suffered? We keep suffering, and we will until we put an end to this war. No one else has to die. No one else has to suffer. It used to be our generation that worried about the war while we were still in school. Now our children are facing the same burdens we did twenty years ago. They deserve more, they deserve the chance to grow up in peace. The future deserves to be war-torn free."

There were claps to accompany at this point, as the room seemed to agree. "Let us go into this new year with the purest intention to end this war, and to allow the future generations peace of mind once more." It seemed the Minister had no intention of talking more, and as he sat in his seat, the room seemed to buzz, no doubt discussing what the end of the war would mean.

Which side would win? It was a question she asked herself often. Which side was stronger? She could answer that without truly thinking about it. The Dark Lord was much stronger than the Order, it seemed. He was growing even stronger as the days went by. How soon until the Order was no more? How soon until it was no longer safe to be seen in public?

Severus's words came to mind, about the attack to take place Christmas day. No time was given, no location. Just word of an attack. Where? It made her head hurt, wondering who would be dying tomorrow. So she worked to distract herself, glancing around the room to take in the strange faces she had never seen before, and some familiar from Slughorn's party.

"I don't see any of the Malfoy family," Scarlett admitted. "I thought they were members of the Ministry."

"Oh, you needn't worry," the Minister insisted, nodding to her as if it was for her benefit. "Since Lucius's sentence in Azkaban, they have been restricted from working with the Ministry. I do not intend to have them involved in the Ministry ever again."

It wasn't why she asked, for her benefit. She was genuinely curious.

"Mr. Malfoy was the only one that worked for the Ministry," Cormac told her quietly. "Narcissa and Draco have no hold in it." Except for what little purchase their money could get them, no doubt. The Dark Lord found them useful for something - something that Draco had to be killed over, if he failed. Something incredibly important.

"Oh, I apologize. I just found it odd, that not even Mrs. Malfoy was here," Scarlett said softly. They were no longer prominent members in society, she supposed. They were disgraced, and no matter who won, their picture wouldn't be redeemed. Not without a tremendous amount of outside help.

The orchestra began to play, a charming waltz that Scarlett found was much slower than the pace Bill had been dancing with her at. Perhaps she wouldn't be terribly awful at a slower pace.

And instead of dancing when the rest of the room began to head in the direction of the dance floor, Cormac led her around, to meet people. She met just about every head of a Ministry Department, their families, other important people. And though they were always - every single one of them - a bit wary of her at first, they seemed to warm the more she smiled and laughed with them. Cormac was wonderful for easing the tension.

He had plenty of years to master the art of charming older people into loving him. Or he had his father's help for that. Scarlett supposed people weren't really fond of her own father, nor his reputation.

"Where's everyone going?" Scarlett questioned as people around them began to vacate their tables, or their areas to mingle, to head to the dancefloor. "Oh, no," she murmured. He offered her his hand. "The dance?"

"Absolutely. It's almost midnight. Come on. We want a good place."

"So everyone can see me send you to St. Mungo's?" Scarlett giggled. "Of course we do." But she accepted his hand and let him pull her out, nearly stumbling as she tried to get back into the swing with her heels. Cormac was chuckling, and as soon as they stopped, facing each other, she placed her hand on his shoulder, and his own went to her waist, while their other hands were still clasped. "I do apologize in advance."

The sound of wood signalling the orchestra sounded and Cormac just winked. "No apology necessary for having an awesome time."

"Murdering your toes," she agreed. "How foolish of me to take no pleasure in that." And then the music began, a soft twinkling like music that reminded her of Christmas at Malfoy Manor, in her childhood. It was happy music and he guided her easily, avoiding her feet if she ever misstepped like he knew when she would. "This isn't so bad," she admitted.

"See? You're fine." Everyone was dancing around them, swirling in a sea of gowns and black robes. Cormac laced their clasped hands, so that their fingers were interlocked and she glanced to him, a smile on his face. "Great, right?"

"I may get a bit dizzy, but... Oh, Cormac, this is beautiful. Thank you for inviting me."

"Thanks for actually agreeing. I don't think I could stomach another year of old ladies pinching my cheeks and girls that look like they're twelve fawning over me."

"It sounds like a difficult life," Scarlett teased, and he nodded in agreement.

"The worst. How was Ty-"

"Shh," she bit so suddenly, that he jumped a bit in surprise. "Tying up the boys was wonderful. I'll tell you about it later."

"Uh, right," Cormac muttered, confused.

She winced. "Sorry." She cursed herself for reacting so harshly, but she couldn't have people potentially overhearing how she visited Tyler. It would have meant their imprisonment, torture... she thought enough on what her deception would do if the Dark Lord ever found out - and it wouldn't be pleasant.

Once the dance was over, he led her off the floor towards the punch bowl and the collection of glasses filled with champagne. "I'm sorry, but it's not ... it's not safe here." He raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"It's fine. I was being an idiot." She gave him a smile, teasingly.

Cormac passed her a champagne glass and Scarlett accepted it, sipping from it carefully. It tickled her nose and Cormac winked at her. "Is this alcohol?" she asked curiously. "It tastes so differnt from fire whiskey."

"Not everyone jumps in hardcore when they drink," Cormac teased. Scarlett flushed slightly, glad he was moving on from her error of the night. "You do look beautiful, Scarlett. Truly."

"Thank you," Scarlett said, glancing down at her dress. "I feared it was a bit much."

"Never." He offered his hand but a throat clearing interrupted them. She jumped slightly, not having heard anyone approach. It was a handsome man, near their own age, perhaps just out of Hogwarts. He was dressed smartly, elegant black robes that matched his raven black hair. And while his face seemed kind, his eyes held the same look as most of the Slytherin boys - arrogance.

"Forgive me, for interrupting." His voice was smooth, like liquid gold. She immediately didn't trust him, but he knew someone, no doubt, amongst the Death Eaters. She couldn't just rudely walk away. Everything here was reported to the Dark Lord. Everything was being watched. "I was hoping I may steal Miss Prince for a dance."

Cormac glanced to Scarlett, before plucking the champagne glass from her hand. "Who would I be to refuse to share?" He didn't know this man, then.

Scarlett offered a kind smile to the young man. "I feel I should warn you. I'm an awful dancer and you may not be able to feel your feet after this."

This seemed to amuse the man, and he just bowed, offering a hand to her. "It's a risk I'm willing to take."

She gave Cormac an apologetic smile. "I'll meet you in a few minutes."

Cormac just nodded, eyeing the young man in distrust as they turned away towards the dancefloor. "I never caught your name," Scarlett impored. "You seem to have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I'm afraid I don't know yours."

"You may call me Thomas," he shrugged. When they reach the dancefloor, she noticed they were in the center, and he had managed to successfully walk them around other dancing couples without her noticing. "We'll meet again after tonight, I'm very certain of that."

"Oh," Scarlett said, surprised. He took her waist in his grip and he guided her through the music. "You are a lovely dancer," she complimented. It seemed so smooth, so effortless. "Did you go to Hogwarts?"

"No. I went to Durmstrang. My parents are English." But she didn't believe him. The way he held himself was like every Slytherin she had seen. "I take it you do."

"Yes, I do," Scarlett nodded. "I'm in my Sixth year at the moment."

"Sixth?" He seemed intrigued. "How is it? I've wanted to visit the castle."

"Oh, it's beautiful," Scarlett insisted. "Passages, moving staircases. I don't know what Durmstrang's like, but Hogwarts is... it's one of a kind, I think."

"They have houses, I heard. What is your house?"

Shouldn't he have known, if he was in the Dark Lord's ranks? Yet he acted oblivious to her history, her story. It was a nice change from other strangers she had met that night. "Gryffindor," Scarlett smiled. "House of the brave and incredibly stupid, as a few friends of mine, call it."

He seemed to recognize the moniker. "You're in Harry Potter's house, right?"

"Oh, yes," Scarlett said, her smile faltering a bit. "He's in most of my courses."

"How is it that someone so close to Potter..." He twirled her and when she was facing him again, he had a deadly smirk, "is a Death Eater?" She stumbled, nearly stepping on his foot, and her hand came to his shoulder, to steady herself.

"I'm-I'm sorry," she stuttered, her heart beating fast in fear. "You must have me mistaken for someone else. That's a very grave accusation. I don't know where you've heard that-"

"Seen you around," he shrugged, non-chalantly, continuing the dance as if she wasn't three shades paler and ready to pass out. What on earth was this man doing? Who was he?

"I-" She tried to pull herself from his grip, but he refused and the dark look in his eyes made her comply almost immediately. "I really should get to Cormac. I think we're done here."

"The dance isn't over." His voice was hard, and it had a twinge of familiarity to it. She recnogized it. "You're not going anywhere. Not until you answer my questions." She gave a frightened nod. "How is it that a girl like you... who comes from nothing, ends up with one of the most powerful men in England?"

She swallowed. "I guess I'm just lucky."

"Lucky," he repeated dryly. "Is that what they call love these days?"

"Love?" she repeated. "I'm sorry... I don't understand what you're-"

"You understand," he said dangerously, his voice dropping to a menacing snarl. She sucked in a breath, but they continued to dance, as if nothing was wrong. She tried to find Cormac, in the crowd, but his grip on her waist tightened and she had to glance to him, tears in her eyes. "This could get very ugly if anyone were to find out how attached you are to your McLaggen... I'm sure the Dark Lord was very against that."

She paled, opening her mouth to say something, but thought better of it. Only Inner Circle members knew of his order for her to date Cormac. And he wasn't one. She remembered every single face and name that attended those meetings, and he had never been there, and those that had, she knew their children's name and faces. He could not possibly know about any of that. Any of the entire interaction.

He was making shots in the dark. He knew nothing. He couldn't threaten anything, because he was trying to get her to confess to something, something he had no proof in. She smiled, and he seemed caught off guard by the sight of it. "I don't think you understand what you're talking about. Whatever you think you've heard, or overheard, was not meant for you to hear, and you ... well, you're a bit misinformed." Her smile turned into a smirk and as the orchestra played the final note of the song, she dipped into a curtsy. "All to play our parts. Thank you for the dance, Thomas."

She turned from him, and kept walking until she was at Cormac's side. She almost expected Thomas to come after her, to make a scene, but he didn't. He was apparently too shocked by her words, or humiliated. She wasn't sure.

"Who was that guy?" Cormac asked.

Scarlett smiled up at him. "No one important."

"You looked a bit scared there for a minute," Cormac admitted. "He say something to you?"

"Oh, I think I put him in his place. He won't bother us again." Her eyes scanned the crowd, trying to find where this Thomas had gone, but she couldn't find him anywhere. Had he left? Gone to a different room? She wasn't sure. And then there was still no sign of Voldemort. Shouldn't he have been here? Shouldn't she have run into him by now?

"Who you looking for?"

"No one," Scarlett said quietly. "Just, taking everything in." She hated lying to him. But he seemed to know it. And she wondered if she was truly a bad actress. "I'll tell you later, it's not safe here." He just nodded.

It was two in the morning when the ballroom began to clear out and Cormac wrapped his arm around her waist, a tad drunker than she had ever seen him. But still coherent at least. Mr. McLaggen and Mrs. McLaggen were waiting for them by their table, and Scarlett picked up her clutch, giggling as Cormac made a joke about Julian - and Julian's lack of courage when he asked a fifth year out, only to be doused in pumpkin juice.

"Is all you two do threaten each other's honor with awful stories?" Scarlett giggled.

"Absolutely."

"Well, you two need to learn how to love each other," Scarlett teased. "Are you alright to apparate? You're a bit wobbly." And he was. He stumbled every so many steps.

"I'll take him," Mr. McLaggen sighed. "Miss Prince, will you be alright with Elizabeth?"

"We'll be just fine, Perseus," Elizabeth insisted. She offered Scarlett a kind smile. "We'll wait for them to leave, yes?" Scarlett just nodded and released Cormac's arm. They were gone nearly a moment later and Elizabeth gave a sigh. "You'll have to forgive Cormac. He tends to get a bit carried away at these things."

"It's alright," Scarlett said, shrugging lightly. "Everyone gets a bit nervous at public events like this."

"Yes, I agree. I dread coming here every year," Elizabeth admitted. "Shall we?" She offered an arm to Scarlett and Scarlett took it. "It may be a bit rough. Our wards are pretty strong."

It meant they were safe, then. Elizabeth apparated her, and she was right. The wards were strong. It felt like a jolt to her body, and she gasped as the wards went through her, sending her into a bit of a nauseas spell. They landed in a warm, family-oriented living room, Cormac nowhere to be seen and Mr. McLaggen unbuttoning his cuffs.

"Just take a few deep breaths, sweetheart, you'll be fine."

"The oxygen counters the dizzy feeling in the head," Scarlett nodded. "Madame Pomfrey taught me that."

"Really?" Elizabeth seemed very pleased with that. "She taught me that as well. That woman knows everything."

"She does," Scarlett agreed.

"Well," Elizabeth said, glancing towards the doorway, leading to another room. "The bedroom is up the stairs and the third door on the left. I'll take you there."

"Oh, thank you," Scarlett said, surprised by the woman's generosity. She glanced towards Mr. McLaggen, who seemed content with ignoring the pair of them. "Goodnight, Mr. McLaggen. And thank you, for extending the invitation to me for the ball. I had so much fun."

He glanced to her, his eyes flickering briefly to Mrs. McLaggen, before nodding to Scarlett. "Of course, the pleasure was ours. I hope Cormac's been good to you."

"He's been wonderful," Scarlett insisted. "Truly."

Mr. McLaggen merely grunted in the affirmative. Elizabeth offered a hand to Scarlett and began to lead her through the home, up the stairs. "There's a bathroom inside, and everything, so you needn't worry about getting lost should you get up at night. We'll show you around tomorrow, but it's much to late now."

They paused at a door and Elizabeth pushed it open, revealing Cormac leaning against a wardrobe as he pulled off his outer robes. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder how he ties his shoes."

Scarlett giggled. "I do too. This is my room."

"Sure is, dear. Perseus and I are just down the hall, if you need us. But nothing's getting into this place. Our wards are almost as strong as Hogwarts itself." It put her at ease almost instantly. "Get some rest."

"Thank you."

"Oh, sweetheart, it's no problem. I'll see you whenever you wake up. I fully intend to sleep in." Scarlett couldn't help but smile at that. When she walked into the bedroom, Elizabeth shut the door behind her and Scarlett raised an eyebrow.

"Are you checking my room for animagi?" Scarlett teased, sliding off her heels and placing them before the large bed. It was a golden color, the bedding looking quite warm. She felt incredibly tired already, just looking at it.

"My room," Cormac smirked. "You're staying in my room."

"I am?" she asked, surprised. She didn't think Elizabeth would allow that. Especially since it didn't seem normal for a boyfriend and girlfriend to share a bedroom in their parents home - Mrs. Weasley certainly wouldn't allow it. "Oh... Uh, sorry."

"But I did sweep it. No animagi." She sighed as she sat down on the edge of the bed, her feet absolutely killing her. Scarlett opened the clutch, digging around inside to find some clothes that Ginny promised to have packed. "How on earth are you digging so deep?"

"Ginny knicked Hermione's beaded bag," Scarlett admitted. "Undetectable extension charm. But..." She frowned, shaking the bag to shift the items inside of it - which wasn't much. "She didn't pack me any clothing."

"Oh, no problem. I've got some clothes you can borrow." He moved towards the dark cherry wardrobe, pulling the top drawer open. He only stumbled slightly, but seemed to be getting more control as the minutes passed. "They might be a bit big on you, but..." He grabbed a few things, passing them to her. "There you go. Uh, bathroom's through that door." He gestured to a door to her right.

"Thank you," Scarlett sighed. "Sorry if this is a bother. Ginny promised she packed everything and-"

"It's alright," Cormac shrugged. "Uh... you don't mind sleeping in my room, right?" Scarlett felt a flush heat up her skin. "Mum just didn't have the elves make up another room. Uh... no funny business or anything... I don't know if I can trust you to make that promise."

"Me?" Scarlett laughed. "I'm not a succubus, Cormac. Please."

"Could've fooled me," Cormac winked. "But if that's not okay-"

"No, it's fine," Scarlett shrugged. She moved towards the bathroom. "Except I need to change, and I think you need to get a sobering potion before you break a leg or something."

"Or something," Cormac grinned. "Yeah, I'll get one." He moved towards the door and Scarlett herself moved to the bathroom. It took longer to get out of the dress than it did to get the clothes to fit her. She took the extensive amount of pins out of her hair, placing them in a pile on the bathroom counter, until she had a sizeable amount.

Goodness, those were all holding her hair together? The clothing was much too big for her. She was short, and skinny, from her years or malnourishment at the Manor. The shirt alone was dwarfing her further. The shorts were obviously from quidditch, a few holes near the hem from what looked like being caught in a flight.

But glancing in the mirror, she nearly laughed out loud at the saying on the shirt. Grrrr-iffindor, with a growling lion's head across the front. Of course. House pride seemed to run rampant with Cormac. She gathered the pins, and then moving towards the bedroom, found Cormac was back. She quickly placed the pins into the clutch, settling on the bed and pulled out the shrunk object Ginny had absolutely promised to pack.

"What's that?"

She rolled her eyes, passing it to him, casting an elargement charm. His eyes widened and he settled on the bed, propped up on a few pillows as he set it between his legs. "If I told you, I should have just forgotten about the wrapping paper." She giggled as he leaned forward, pressing his ear against it. He jerked back, obviously hearing something. "Happy Christmas."

He glanced up at her, a grin forming on his face, and then began tearing at the paper - the wrappings taking hours to do, as it was a circular object. But he seemed pleasantly surprised by what was hiding underneath. "Woah... that's a lot of chocolate frogs."

"Fifty seven, actually," Scarlett laughed quietly. They were all jumping about inside the jar, attempting to break free. "It's been a nightmare trying to get them all in without them jumping out. I think I lost a few, but there's fifty seven in there at the moment. And I didn't know if you liked collecting the actual cards, so I kept them just in case you do, and you can have them - there are a few replicas, but they're all surprisingly different-"

"This is bloody wicked-"

"Read the note." He picked up the note on the lid and flipped it open.

"There's an envelope at the bottom with your real present in it. But in order to get it, you have to eat every single frog in here. And no cheating - I'll know. Lettie." Cormac glanced up. "I have to eat all of them?"

She nodded simply. "But try not to all at once. You'll get a bit sick..." He set the jar between his legs, trying to pry off the lid. "Oh! And I wouldn't do that. They'll all go jumping out. You have to ease it open and reach in to grab one."

"Bloody hell," Cormac murmured. He did as she said and found the lid came off quite easily and he grabbed one, throwing it into his mouth. "I can't even share?"

"Sorry," Scarlett said sheepishly. "I charmed it only to you." He nodded and set the jar on the nightstand before getting off of the bed and heading towards his trunk.

"Right, well, the necklace was only part of yours," Cormac said, digging in the contents of his trunk.

"Cormac," Scarlett said in surprise. "You didn't have to-"

He gave her a shrug, as if he wasn't caring fo if he got her a few things or not. The package was a bit big, but he lifted it with ease and held it out to her. She rose to her knees, the bed creaking under her, and grabbed the present, surprised to find it was light as well. She settled back down, her bum resting on the heels of her feet, and set the package on her lap, chewing on her lip. "You going to guess?"

"Is it... a sweater?"

"Uh, no."

"Is it a ... flower?"

"No," Cormac snorted. "You're really bad at this guessing stuff."

"Is it... food?"

"Sort of. Not mum's definition of food, but food all the same." That was all he needed to say for her to start pulling the paper off, the box she was presented with being brown and rather drab looking. "You'll have to open the box, as well. Sorry, I didn't want it to get crushed. They sort of toss trunks about on the train." Oh. She used her wand to slice open the spell-o-tape and gasped at all of the bags of Chocolate Milk Duds presented to her.

"Merlin..." she breathed. She picked up bag after bag, counting a total of sixteen. "Are you trying to make me gain weight?"

"Well, no," Cormac chuckled. "You really like them, though... and you'll never have to go without them."

"For about ten years!" Scarlett insisted. She picked up a bag and compared it to another. They were different brands. "Honeydukes... Sugarplums... Merlin, Cormac!"

"I tried to get a variety so you could find which ones you liked best," Cormac admitted. "Uh, and I sort of had an idea like yours. Inside each one is a smaller gift. They're not charmed or anything, so you could totally cheat if you wanted to, but yeah."

"Cormac," she said, quietly. "This is wonderful... thank you so much."

"You're welcome. I aim to please." She giggled, setting the bags back into the box. "Oh, and another thing, you have to eat the bags in alphabetical order by brand. So Honeydukes before Sugarplums, and Marchhare after Adonis." She nodded, she would remember. "The tiny gifts sort of go in order."

"Should I cheat with the first bag so that I can open the first one?" she questioned.

He grinned. "No... You can, however, open one a day - there are sixteen so you'll open the last one by the time we're on the train back to Hogwarts. So, open one later today."

"Okay," she said quietly. She shut the box, pulling it aside, before she tackled him in a hug. "Thank you," she murmured quietly. "This has been the best Christmas ever and it's barely even started yet."

"That was my goal," he chuckled, but his arms held her tightly as she hugged him, breathing in the scent of his cologne.

When she pulled away, she flushed, spotting the red she had left on his collar of his t-shirt. "Sorry... I keep forgetting I have make-up on. I never wear this stuff. And nothing would rub off no matter how hard I tried... I think Ginny charmed it to stay forever."

"You're beautiful," Cormac promised her. "Don't worry about the shirt." She still felt bad for it. But, she admitted that shirts were replaceable. "At the ball..."

She knew this was coming. She sighed quietly, placing the box to the foot of the bed, before she gave him her full attention. "The Dark Lord was supposed to be there. He was supposed to be watching us... to make sure I wasn't getting too close." He raised an eyebrow, before his eyes widened in horror.

"What? What do you mean? He was there-"

"I didn't see him," Scarlett admitted. "Not once. Not even hidden in the shadows or anything." Cormac frowned. "I couldn't tell you, because I know you aren't a mastered Occulmens, and I didn't know if you'd tell your father. The more people that knew, the more in danger we'd be." She dropped her gaze to her hands, atop her lap. "He should have been there. Has something happened? Did he not show?"

"What does he look like?"

Scarlett winced. "You don't want to know. Nor should you ever know." Her gaze traveled to him. "But he would have stood out. I would have seen him."

"Does this have anything to do with Tyler?"

She shook her head. "No... that was fine. No one followed or spotted us, and there were no interruptions. The Dark Lord couldn't have known. The only reason he was going to the ball was to check on me, to make sure I was doing as told, since he couldn't contact me. He doesn't want to blow my cover."

"If he didn't show..." Cormac paused. "Could he have discovered something he didn't like?"

"And waste an opportunity to publically humiliate me? He's not the type. He enjoys making people feel humiliated, weak, inferior. It's how he has so many supporters - he intimidates them all into submitting to him." Scarlett felt sick. "What if it was a distraction? A way for me to think about that... instead of other things. Maybe he was kidnapping an Order member or-"

"The Order would have contacted you by now. That's not it... maybe he just didn't show. It's possible." It was, but very unlikely. It put her on edge. "How was Tyler?"

She couldn't explain it. "Wonderful." She gave him a small smile. "He was so happy to meet us. And... oh, Cormac.... it was perfect. He seemed so interested in us, and he was amazed by magic and..." She gave Cormac a shrug. "I don't know. I can't explain really. But... it was wonderful."

"Are you going to see him again?"

"No. Not anytime soon," Scarlett shrugged. "He, um... the wards aren't that strong. So, if we led someone there, the fidelis will only hold for a while. It's better we stay apart."

"If there's anything we can do, just ask. We have a few wards and stuff-"

"The less people that know his location, the better. I'm sorry. I trust, you know I do," Scarlett stressed. "But I know how much information people accidentally give up when tortured, or ... just with a glance. The less you and everyone else knows about him, the better."

"I keep secrets," Cormac muttered, but his smile was teasing, and he jutted out his lip as if he was pouting. Scarlett giggled, leaning towards him and pecking his lips lightly.

"Not very well. You did tell me that Julian likes to put pumpkin juice in his ham."

"It's actually quite good, too," Cormac grinned. She couldn't help but smile back. Still hovering near him, his hands rose and cupped her cheeks. "Don't tell me. Of course not. I think Tyler is a bit more important than secrets."

"Thank you, for understanding."

"And I'm sorry, for bringing it up at the ball. It was stupid of me and-"

"It's fine," Scarlett insisted. "We handled it well." He kissed her again, only it wasn't light like hers had been, but instead firm, loving, and a bit sloppy from alcohol. It made her giggle as she pulled away, his pout returning. "I think you're still a bit under the influence."

"Sod the alcohol," Cormac muttered. She kissed him lightly, before pulling away, out of his reach. He sighed, falling back into the pillows, and his eyes went shut. She stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to say something, but he was still.

"Cor-"

A loud snore interrupted her and she muffled her laugh with her hand, before patting his still arm. "Goodnight, Cormac." She pulled back the covers to the other side of the bed, crawling underneath them, and turned on her side as she used her wand to dim the lights. All across the wall she was staring at was lined with brooms, brooms she had never seen before to brooms she saw at the Burrow for the boys to play on.

His broom collection. What had inspired the other gift inside of the jar. She'd have to ask him about the wall when he woke, but for the time being, she found sleep slowly creeping up on her.

She was woken by a light knock to the bedroom door, hesitant, as though unsure they should knock. Cormac muttered and turned on his side, bringing half of the blankets with him. Scarlett rolled her eyes. He was an awful bed-sharer it seemed. She stood, stretching slightly, before she heard the knock again, still quiet.

She reached the door and carefully pulled it open, wincing as the lock clicked. Elizabeth was there, looking well-rested and energetic. "Good morning," she said quietly. "Is Cormac still asleep?"

"Yes, ma'am," Scarlett admitted. "I think he had a bit more champagne than I did." Her gaze flickered towards the bed, and Mrs. McLaggen's gaze followed.

"Well, you're more than welcome to join me for breakfast. I'm afraid Perseus is still asleep as well. Women are the only responsible ones, it seems." Scarlett gave the woman a warm smile. "Oh, dear, your make-up..." Elizabeth licked her finger, rubbing at Scarlett's cheek. "Smeared. It's such a shame. Whoever did it is extremely talented."

"Ginny Weasley," Scarlett admitted. "Thank you..." Scarlett rubbed at her cheek once Mrs. McLaggen dropped her hand. "I've never worn make-up before..." She gave Mrs. McLaggen an embarrassed shrug. "And I couldn't wipe it off."

"She must have used those WonderWitch products," Mrs. McLaggen tutted. "Well, no matter, it'll come off soon. Come on, let's have some breakfast." Scarlett was about to go change, but the woman insisted that what she was wearing was fine, and left Cormac's door opened as she ushered the girl out of the room. "An owl arrived this morning, from Arthur. He says that Nymphadora Tonks will be here around one to bring you back to the Burrow."

"Oh, wonderful," Scarlett said quietly. "Thank you, Mrs. McLaggen, for having me stay the night. I'd imagine most parents are a bit reluctant if their child's boyfriend or girlfriend were to stay over... I know Mrs. Weasley is."

"Oh, we don't mind at all," Mrs. McLaggen said brightly. "We trust Cormac to be careful... You two were careful, correct?"

Scarlett flushed. She surely couldn't mean... But the look on her face was as if she knew of her son's reputation. "Oh, of course, but... it wasn't necessary - I mean, that is to say we haven't..." She bit her lip, knowing her face was matching her hair now. "I don't know why everyone thinks we have-" She stopped, seeing the look of surprise on Mrs. McLaggen's young face. Did Cormac really sleep around that much? "We haven't done that..."

"Oh! Well... that's actually remarkable," she said quietly, a deep look of thought on her face. "But good... wonderful, even... oh, he must really care for you..." Scarlett flushed a dark red, nearly the shade of her hair. "But enough of that, I imagine it's all embarrassing, coming from little old me-"

"Oh, not at all," Scarlett insisted. "He's your son... You must be very proud of him."

"Oh, yes, quite proud. He's bound to be working in the highest ranking jobs at the Ministry. Perseus has been readying him for it his whole life."

"Oh," Scarlett said, surprised as Mrs. McLaggen led them to the kitchen where a few plates of food were placed on the counter and a small table rested beside it, with four chairs. "I didn't know that. He always talks about trying to pursue a job as the flying instructor at Hogwarts."

Mrs. McLaggen sighed. "Yes... Flying is his passion. It was always his dream, when he was little, to do so. Ever since his sister died..." Mrs. McLaggen cleared her throat. His sister? Scarlett had no idea he even had a sister. But it was obviously an emotional topic. Perhaps he didn't care to talk about it? "She used to want to fly with him every day - anyways, Perseus ... he's always had a passion for the Ministry. Takes Cormac everywhere he goes, to teach him anything he can."

"Oh... I'm sure Cormac's thrilled," Scarlett said quietly. "Working at the Ministry. Some people spend their entire lives trying to work there and are unable to."

Mrs. McLaggen hummed, pushing some of her chestnut hair from her face as she sat down, gesturing for Scarlett to sit beside her. "Oh, Cormac's... not as thrilled. But perhaps one day..." She poured some tea. "Tea?"

"Please," Scarlett responded politely. "He enjoys the traveling, I know. He talks of it fondly. He tells me you're heading to Greece today?"

"Oh, yes, this evening," Mrs. McLaggen nodded. "We're having Christmas dinner with my grandparents before Perseus goes off on his Ministry trips."

"You're from Greece?"

"My mother's family," Elizabeth nodded. "It's lovely. Have you ever been?"

"No, I can't say I have," Scarlett said quietly. "But Cormac mentions it often enough." Elizabeth just hummed, stirring her tea cup. "But then you're heading to Albania?"

"Oh, yes, Perseus has a bit of business to do, looking for a few Ministry donors. It's tough business, Perseus's job. But enough about those boys." She sipped from her tea, the kind smile returning to her face. "How is Madame Pomfrey doing? I've been meaning to contact her, but she's always so busy."

"She's remarkable for what I'm sure her age is," Scarlett giggled. "She's been wonderful. Once we breezed through my first three years of study, she's insisting that we could finish my entire apprenticeship this year, and next year I work alongside her on the weekends."

"Merlin, on top of your research project with Sinestra?"

Scarlett flushed. "I tend to make myself extremely busy."

"You must. I'd imagine it must be a relief to think of other things when you have so much tragic history in your head," Elizabeth admitted. "I know I pushed myself excessively when Cormac was young and the first war was ending. It's so much easier to cope."

Scarlett downcast her eyes, a light shrug touching her shoulders. "I have so much to make up for. So many years at Hogwarts that I've missed. I just want to experience as much as I can. And sometimes I do get a bit busy... and I would be lying if I admitted that it didn't help with any memories of things I'd rather keep buried." She gave Elizabeth a smile suddenly. "We all do that, I suppose. Suppress things."

"Oh, I agree," Elizabeth said quietly. "Your healer studies, I'm sure, are a beacon of light. Is there any particular field you wish to go into?"

"I'd love to heal at Hogwarts," Scarlett flushed. "Work alongside Madame Pomfrey until she retires. I just love Hogwarts so much, and I couldn't imagine now that I'm there, to part from it."

There was a snort from the entrance of the kitchen and Scarlett turned to see Cormac, dissheveled, but glancing between his mother and Scarlett as if amused. "I knew you two were conspiring. So, what was it this time? How devilishly handsome I am? How charming my personality is?"

Scarlett giggled. "How utterly loud you snore when you pass out."

"I do not!" Cormac protested.

"I'm afraid you do," she shrugged. Scarlett smiled as she sipped from her tea, spotting Elizabeth seemed to be rather amused as well. "It was dreadful."

"Then, I guess you didn't get enough sleep to venture out into town today," Cormac shrugged. "Pity." Scarlett lowered her mug, frowning as he moved towards the kitchen, pausing just long enough to drop a kiss to the top of her head.

"What?"

"Didn't you want to see a Muggle bookstore?" Cormac questioned. He opened a cabinet, pulling out a box of something, and a bowl. He paused, glancing towards Scarlett as she looked up at him in surprise. "Cereal?"

"What's cereal?" she asked. She frowned, biting her lip. "Is it safe to go?"

"Oh, absolutely. We live very close to a store, so it will probably be safer than to venture out and look around the city, I'm afraid," Elizabeth nodded.

"Cereal's a sort of breakfast." Cormac shook the box in his hands.

"Oh, no, I'm fine, thanks," Scarlett admitted. "But a bookstore sounds lovely."

"Thought it might," Cormac smirked. "Dad still asleep?"

"Yes. I don't think he'll be awake for a while." He poured a bowl of the cereal, before adding milk, and then settled into a seat adjacent to Scarlett herself.

"So, what else about me were we discussing?"

"How you used to take baths with spaghetti," Scarlett said innocently. Elizabeth burst into laughter, while Cormac groaned. "Is it true? I've always suspected he was making the story up to make me feel better, but-"

"Oh, no! It's true," Elizabeth insisted. "Every other week, he attempted something. I have no idea why he was so intent on doing it, but I could always expect to come home and hear the tale from our house-elves at the time. They absolutely despised Cormac."

"I can only imagine," Scarlett giggled, watching as Cormac sunk lower into his seat, his shoulders hunched. "Did you ever apologize to them?"

"I was a kid. I had no idea I was even bothering them that much until years later. And by then, we had gotten rid of our elves, sent them to other families."

Scarlett frowned slightly. "I've never heard of such a thing. The elves, at Malfoy Manor, at least, were either set free or killed. You can unbreak a binding to a family?"

"Oh, absolutely," Elizabeth insisted. "Any binding can be broken in one way or another. We only released the elves that wanted to be released to other families, and with Cormac promising to have a horrid bath every time, most of them were happy to leave. Those that didn't, we let stay until they passed."

"I never knew that," Scarlett admitted. "So it's broken by mutual agreement?"

"Mostly. Those bonds are never so strong that a mutual agreement can't break them." She gave Scarlett a small smile. "But not all bonds are the same."

"My bond to the Malfoy family, it was in words only, there was no ritual," Scarlett admitted.

Elizabeth seemed surprised by the information. "I don't think I'm the best to tell this to. I don't understand them as much, and I can't imagine you'd be comfortable enough to-"

"Why would I be uncomfortable?" Scarlett asked. "It's in the past, now. I've never really studied bonds, before. It's such new territory. What I do know about them, at any rate, is that they recently began to be studied in the last few decades."

Elizabeth glanced to Cormac, but Cormac was just grinning as he scooped another mouthful of cereal into his mouth. "Like I said, she lets things go fast. Even if it's bothering her at the same time."

Scarlett flushed. "I don't blame Lucius for what has happened. Any one would have done the same to protect their family. And people react differently to situations of stress."

"You were a little girl," Elizabeth whispered, as if trying to make her see reason. Scarlett sipped from her tea, shrugging uncomfortably.

Cormac cleared his throat. "Believe me, I've tried to hate him, but once I got the whole story - and saw it for myself. Kinda hard to hate him fully. Always have bloody hated the guy, but ..." Cormac scooped more cereal into his mouth, and chewed on it for a second. "He's had his moments, in private."

"He was my father," Scarlett admitted to the woman. "Before Severus. And he may have been abusive or cruel towards me at times, and yes it was awful of him, but I want to focus on the better man I know he is, and the better man I know he can become. He's done wonders for me, now that I've been freed. He has helped me in so many ways I cannot even begin to tell you." Scarlett simply couldn't tell the woman, not until it was safe, and the war was over.

"I'm sorry, if... if I've offended you," Elizabeth admitted. "That wasn't my intention. I just found the article so horrific. For what was done to you at such a young age... you've experienced far more than you should."

Scarlett gave the woman a smile. "Oh, no offense. I know people don't understand why I can sympathize with him. My friends especially hate it, but... I will only experience worse until the war is over. I just hope that it's worth it."

Elizabeth couldn't seem to muster up a reply. Her eyes were filling with a wetness that made Scarlett wonder what she had said to upset the woman - had she been rude? Oh, she sincerely hoped not. Glancing to Cormac in alarm, he quickly cut in. "Hey, Lettie, let's go transfigure those into something to wear out to town, alright? Mum, uh... needs a minute."

"Of... of course," Scarlett murmured, standing when Cormac stood himself, nearly stumbling as he took her hand and led her from the room. "I upset her didn't I? I'm sorry, I-"

"No," Cormac insisted. "She was just a bit surprised you're.... pretty normal. That's all. And passionate." But as they rounded the corner, they nearly ran into Mr. McLaggen and Scarlett sucked in a breath as she scrambled out of his way.

"I'm sorry, sir," Scarlett said immediately. She had very nearly ran into him. A few more seconds and she surely would have. "I wasn't paying attention."

He just cleared his throat, nodding to her. He was standing in the strange hallway between the kitchen and the foyer, and it seemed he was on his way to breakfast. "Morning."

"Good morning," Scarlett said brightly.

"We're going to head out to the bookshop around the corner, before Tonks gets here," Cormac stated. "That's alright, yeah?"

"Keep your wands on you," Mr. McLaggen said simply. "I'm sure your mother would like a book for the car ride to your grandparents."

"I'll keep an eye out," Cormac winked, before tugging at Scarlett's arm. "Come on. There's got to be something normal for you to wear. Or transfigure into. You could just go in that."

Scarlett giggled. "I slept in this. Besides, I must look like a common garden gnome." Cormac was already tugging her up the stairs. "Oh, bye, Mr. McLaggen!" Mr. McLaggen merely grunted and moved towards the kitchen. Scarlett sighed quietly, and Cormac slowed only marginally. "I still don't think he likes me."

"Yeah, well, like I said last night, he doesn't like me, either, so... it's alright."

"Your mother seems to think you're working at the Ministry, when you graduate. I thought you wanted to be a flying instructor."

"I do," Cormac smirked. "I'm not working at the Ministry. In fact, I have no intention of ever working at the Ministry unless it's to help organize the World Cup or something. Ministry's rotten and it doesn't sound like fun and I definitely won't enjoy it for the rest of my life. Flying on the other hand..." He grinned at her as they reached the landing. "Definitely will enjoy that."

"Tell me about your collection," Scarlett insisted, giving him a small smile. "Of brooms. I saw it last night, but you were passed out before I could ask."

"I don't think you really want to hear about it," Cormac chuckled. "You don't fly."

"No, but you do," Scarlett shrugged lightly, and Cormac glanced back at her. "I like listening to you talk about brooms and flying." She flushed as he snorted. "It takes my mind off things."

His amusement faded almost immediately. "Alright." She hated ruining the lightheartedness of their conversations. It made her wonder if he ever got annoyed with it. "Well, like I said, I've got a lot of brooms."

And just like that, he spent the next hour, as she transfigured his clothing into another pair of clothing that actually fit her, explaining the history of every broom on the wall. She stood beside him, silent, her neck craning to look at the broom he kept gesturing to, and when he reached the end of the wall, he glanced towards her, grinning. "And this baby is my favorite."

"Your favorite?" Scarlett asked in surprise. "But it's the newest one."

He gave her a smile, a charming one that reminded her a bit of the Cormac she first met. The arrogant Cormac that had been entirely capable of charming any woman he laid eyes on. "You'll figure out why I like it, soon enough."

She would? She glanced towards the broom, her brow furrowing as her mind raced with possible reasons. "Because it's the second ever to be made?"

"While that is awesome, no."

Her frown deepened and she couldn't possibly think of anything else. "It's new?"

"You've sort of already asked that. No. Take your time. No rush to figure it out today. You ready to go?" Right, the Muggle bookstore. She nodded, giving the broom a hard look, before he threw an arm around her shoulders, guiding her towards the door. "So, how would a gorgeous girl like you feel about getting some ice cream on the way back?"

She blushed, her eyes dropping down as she gave a light shrug. "I'm up for anything."

She quickly reached over, grabbing her clutch, containing the shrunken gown, her wand, and the shrunken gift he had given her the night before. She knew there were a few galleons inside.

"What are you taking that for?"

"I have some money," Scarlett shrugged. "If I happen to be intrigued-"

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem intent on arguing with her. Scarlett didn't finish her sentence. But by the time they made it to the staircase, she felt disappointment well in her as she spotted Tonks in a discussion with Mrs. McLaggen. Cormac came to a halt. "Uh, looks like you're leaving early," he said under his breath.

"Oh... Maybe there's a reason they changed their plans... a tip off or something."

"This place is impenetrable," Cormac shrugged. "I doubt it. But... since she hasn't noticed us yet..." She was about to scold him, if he thought they should sneak off to the bookstore anyway, but he stole the words from her in a kiss, one that made her feel flushed and breathless.

"I see you two up there!" Tonks' voice echoed in the vast foyer. Scarlett blushed furiously red, nearly that of Ron when he was in an argument with Hermione, and she pulled away. "We've got to leave a bit ahead of schedule, Scarlett. Throw off anyone that could have intercepted my owl." Oh, she supposed that made sense.

"I should change-"

"Keep em," Cormac shrugged. "I'm not going to wear them. They don't fit me anymore. Besides, it'll be a long break. Maybe they'll... let you think of me."

She gave a small smile. "Maybe," she said coyly. "Or I'll read."

"Why? Does thinking of me use up your ability to focus?"

Scarlett shrugged, moving towards the stairs. "Maybe." She turned to face him. "Happy Christmas. I hope you have fun in Albania."

"Definitely won't be as much fun as I could have had here," Cormac shrugged. "See you on the train."

"I'll see you then," Scarlett agreed. Tonks was staring up at them expectantly. "Right, I should go before she spliches me on purpose."

"If she does, you can file a complaint at the Ministry. I'll have dad make sure it goes through." Scarlett laughed, her teeth pulling her lip between them. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," she murmured.


	46. The Burning Promise

Molly made them all eat a hearty Christmas dinner before the sun even went down, gushing over each of the children that sat in the dining room, nearly elbow to elbow with the available space. It was so warm and it made her feel... warm inside, with how many people were laughing, elbowing each other, reaching across the table for a food item.

Arthur told jovial stories of his days at the Ministry, stories she was certain a few of the Weasley children had heard multiple times before by the way they groaned at the start of each one.

"Everyone has been so patient, to keep the presents unopened until after dinner," Molly said once dessert was passed out. "Once all of the dishes are clean, we can open them!"

But of course, with that stipulation, even Ron pitched in. The dishes were done in a record four minutes. Even Molly said it was thirty seconds faster than last year. And then all of the boys took off running for the tree, tugging to grab presents from under the decorated branches.

It was Christmas. Her first honest Christmas as an adult. As a teenager. Scarlett had so much to be thankful for. So much that she wanted Harry, the Weasleys, and the Order to know she appreciated. Ginny grabbed Scarlett's arm, tugging her towards the chair by the fireplace, where a charm laid their presents. There were so many for each of them. Scarlett didn't know that she could possibly have that many friends, or that many people that cared enough to give her such presents.

As she began to look through the names, she realized they were from everyone she knew. Draco, Blaise, Neville, Seamus, even the Patel twins. She carefully unwrapped them. A simple silver bracelet from Draco, an engraving she couldn't read in the firelight on the surface. And from Blaise, a warm scarf, Gryffindor colors of course, with a woven heating charm. And the others, books, things for studying. Harry had gotten her a quill that never ran out of ink and it was so beautiful, with the silver surface.

Ginny, Dean and Hermione shared a present, and by what was inside, she had a feeling that it was Ginny and Dean that had gifted it to her, tacking on Hermione's name at last minute. It was a wizard drawing, the subject being Scarlett herself. It was breathtaking, the artistry. "Who did this?" Scarlett asked in surprise, glancing to Ginny.

Ginny shrugged lightly. "Dean. I told him what I wanted to give you, and he was all on board. The scene changes. It's sort of like a series of pictures. I was going to have him draw Tyler, you know, but we don't know what he looks like, and it would be dangerous..." She supposed it would. Scarlett watched as the image of her in the Gryffindor Common Room, seated by the fire, shifted to her and Cormac in the aclove, and then shifted to her with Harry and Ginny, and it kept going, showing all of those that she loved. Cormac, Severus, even Blaise and Draco. All of her friends.

"I love it so much," Scarlett whispered. "Thank you."

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley knitted her a sweater, the initial S knitted on the front in a vibrant red. She could tell it was made with much love. She thanked everyone, warmed.

"Bloody hell!" Ron cried.

"Language, Ronald," Molly scolded.

Scarlett glanced up from the pictures as they flipped through, enraptured by them as everyone else went through their presents. "No, Mum, Scarlett got me Chuddly Cannon tickets!" Hermione glanced up sharply, surprised, from a few seats away from Scarlett. "Harry's got some for Puddlemere! How on earth did you get them?"

"I wrote to the teams, asking to buy tickets," Scarlett giggled. "It wasn't that hard."

"So that's what you've been warding," the twins accused Bill.

"Actually, I was warding her boyfriend's present with my life, because I knew you two would try to touch them," Bill snorted.

"I just want to thank all of you for what you've done," Scarlett insisted. "You've gone out of your way and... I've never known such a life as this, and it has been wonderful. So thank you."

"Oh, dear," Molly gushed, her eyes as misty as they were when she saw Fleur kissing Bill under the mistletoe earlier in the evening. Only, Scarlett suspected her eyes weren't watering in disgust. "It's been our pleasure. We all love you."

So they opened presents, not dwelling on the moment, but Molly's words echoed in Scarlett's head. We all love you. They did. They loved her as much as she loved them, and she knew that she would do anything to protect them, just as they would do anything to protect her.

And all too soon, as the evening drew to a close, those that lived away from the Burrow began to trickle out.

Remus paused on the step, eyeing the field in distrust. Tonks had said the man was paranoid, so much so that there was hardly any place they could go without him surveying the location every possible second. Scarlett knew the feeling. "Come, Remus," Tonks said gently, taking his arm. Pulling him in the direction of the front stoop, Remus suddenly shivered, as if the atmosphere had dropped a few degrees.

Scarlett quickly glanced to the sky, spotting the moon, just in case it was a transformation, but the moon was still in its waxing phase and wouldn't be full for another week.

And then Scarlett heard it, this shrieking sound like something falling very fast from somewhere very high, and the fireball came into view, twisting around above the Burrow at high speed.

The ball of fire crashed, sending the grass aflame in a perfect circle about the Burrow. A ritual, almost. A casted circle around the object intended to be sacrificed - or destroyed. The Weasley family.

Bellatrix Lestrange stood in the unfinished portion, in front of the Burrow, a cackle leaving her throat, and her hair blowing around her face in the fire's wind. Her eyes surveyed the crowd dangerously, a wide, demented grin filling her face. She radiated the evil she was. Remus and Tonks pulled out their wands, and Scarlett was quick to follow, breathing deeply, despite the smokey atmosphere. A little smoke wouldn't kill her.

Molly grabbed Scarlett's arm, making the red-head look back. "This isn't your fight," Molly said firmly.

"But you're wrong," Scarlett said quietly, turning back to glance at Bellatrix. Molly's hand dropped, either in disbelief at Scarlett's refusal to listen, or fear as Bellatrix apparated, flying into the tall stalks of the field. Harry elbowed his way past Scarlett, and she gasped, trying to grab his arm, but knew she wouldn't be able to. He was determined and Bellatrix crying, "I killed Sirius Black" was making Harry unable to see reason.

She sprinted after him, stopping when the fire wall appeared to close, sealing the Burrow inside. She would have to jump. She backed up only a few steps before rushing forward and jumping, careful her nightgown didn't catch on the flames. Before she even landed, her feet were running, taking her into the stalks behind Harry, trying to find him. Remus, she heard, was trying to follow, Tonks quickly to follow him.

"Ginny, no!" she heard Molly cry. "You stay here." Safe, then. It wasn't someplace Ginny should be, getting involved with - tempting fate with. This was Scarlett's chance. Her only chance to prove herself. If she didn't here, then the Dark Lord wouldn't find much worth beyond her bringing Harry to him. She had to show cunning, intelligence, be every bit the Slytherin she was not.

At first, Scarlett thought of Cormac, of what he'd think of her running out here, after Harry, into a crowd of she didn't know how many Death Eaters. He would call her foolish, stupidly brave... a lot like Harry, she supposed.

"I killed Sirius Black!" Bellatrix's voice cackled, getting closer to where Scarlett was running to. Louder. Scarlett thought of the spare moments she saw the woman. There weren't many. Perhaps three in total. Bellatrix was ruthless, cunning, a sick sense of humor, and she loved to torture anything, even her husband. The Darkness called to her, like a Patronus called upon others.

Torture was her number one product. Pain. Fear. Loathing. She was fiercely loyal to the Dark Lord, so loyal that Scarlett guessed maybe even in love with him. But the Dark Lord either knew, or didn't. And he acted as though he was unaware of her dedication.

"You coming to get me!?" Bella sang in her sing-song voice, the one that make Scarlett's blood turn to ice. Bellatrix terrified her in a way the Dark Lord didn't. The Dark Lord was calm, cool, collected. Bellatrix was completely insane. Uninhibitied. Wild.

And suddenly, there was silence, and Scarlett slowed to a stop, hearing panting breath all around her, Harry, Bella, maybe, and others. Other Death Eaters? Or had Remus finally crossed the barrier?

The silence stretched on for a while, and then suddenly footsteps were running, and she heard Remus shouting, "Harry!" to try and located his surrogate God-son. Harry was the most important of the two teens that had run out there. Harry was someone to be protected at all costs. Scarlett began to move, drawing as much attention to herself as possible as she used her arms to hit as many cornstalks as she could, trying to draw whoever else was out there away from Remus, so Remus could find Harry.

Whoever found her did so so quickly that she didn't even hear footsteps before she was grabbed from behind, a scream tearing from her throat in terror. But the scream only lasted for a few seconds, as whoever had her began to laugh. And then her heart was beating in overdrive as she began to try to control her breathing, to not panic. Greyback.

"Well, well... such a pretty girl lost? Hmmm, Little Red?"

"Scarlett!" Harry cried, as though he was searching for her. Harry was an idiot, she decided. An absolute idiot. Giving away his location - as he was obviously safe before.

"Lost in the woods, don't worry, the Big Bag Wolf will-"

"Sod off," Scarlett spat. "I think you have a better reason to be here than to hold me in the middle of a field-Hmm!" She wasn't able to say more, as one of his large hands covered her mouth, and his own mouth was at her ear, sniffing along her neckline.

"You smell so ... nice. Like flowers-"

His hand moved and she spat at him, "They're called lilacs, you bastard."

"Bastard? Now, look who's calling the kettle black." She struggled in his arms, but he just chuckled, and then shoved her hard on the ground, making her nearly eat the stalks that had broken her fall. It still hurt, incredibly. "Look how vulnerable you are. Tell me, where's your wand?"

Where was her wand? She couldn't see it anywhere, and it wasn't on her person. She felt her heart sink into her stomach. She had no wand. And that meant no power against Greyback - as if she had any power before.

"If you scream again, and lead them here, I will rip your tongue out," Greyback growled at her, turning her over so that instead of her face tangling with the hard cornstalks, it was her hair. Wonderful. She didn't doubt he would try to tear her tongue straight from her body. So, she stayed silent, but that didn't mean she would stay still. "In something so easy to get off? It's like you were hoping for me." Cormac's clothing. Could he smell Cormac on her? She didn't know. But the answer was given to her anyway. "Men's clothes. McLaggen's clothes?"

"I have my mission," Scarlett said carefully. "The Dark Lord knows I am to follow it. And he knows I will. I do as I'm told."

"As you're told," he muttered, as if it was a joke. It was, in a way. She was a slave. And she would be, until this war was over. She may have been free in image, but she was bound to the Dark Lord in a way that she had never been bound to the Malfoys. With the Malfoys, she knew they wouldn't kill her, and in some ways, the Manor protected her from a world that would not have been kind to a girl in her situation.

She rose and he reached for her, but she dodged, thanking Severus a million times for starting her combat training. She kneed him in the stomach, making him grunt. And then, while he was down, she started to search for her wand, throwing away stalks in her attempt.

It was the wrong move for her to make. She should have knocked him unconscious, but he grabbed her and landed a solid punch to her face, making her feel a tad dazzed. She prayed she wouldn't bruise. But she could feel blood on her split lip from where she bit down during impact, and her cheekbone hurt.

"Bitch!" Greyback snapped. "How dare you!" He shoved her down on the ground, hovering over her and she swallowed, knowing this was not going to be good. She didn't speak, the threat of her tongue being ripped out still a possibility. He grinned down at her, his hands holding her arms down, and his knees pinning her legs. She struggled to get free, but he wasn't going to let her.

"You always smell so good..." Greyback hissed, his mouth dipping to her neck, where he licked at the skin there. She flinched, turning her head away from him, but he growled. "You taste of honey," he informed her, maliciously watching as she glared at him, praying he would leave her alone. "I like you silent." She knew he did. "How can someone taste so sweet, but be so dark..." Dark? "Deception... deceiving your friends into thinking you're loyal to them... It's as dark as someone can get without murdering someone. The Dark Lord has big plans for you-" She knew that already.

"You're going to be quiet while Lestrange deals with Potter, got it?" She swallowed, nodding. "And while she's doing that, we're going to have some fun." Fun? The way he said it made her stomach curl and she felt like vomiting. She cursed herself for not changing into something more difficult to get off, like jeans, but she highly doubted that it would have changed anything in the long run.

"I smell McLaggen all over you... You haven't sleep with him yet, girlie? Taught him what I've taught you?" Scarlett let out a shuddering breath, shaking her head quickly, her eyes squeezed shut. She couldn't speak. She didn't want to speak. Why was he talking to her? "Hmmm, the Dark Lord won't be pleased-"

Her eyes flew open in fear, and he grinned down at her, his hands running over her skin in a way that made her feel disgusting, as if she needed to take a scalding bath. "You can't tell him. Please, you can't tell the Dark Lord-" She clamped her mouth shut. His grin grew even more feral.

"I can't? I think I can-" No... Cormac... Tyler. Severus. They would all be killed. She would be killed. She couldn't... she couldn't put them in danger. His face went towards her neck and she swore he was going to bite. "What's this? A gift from the boyfriend?" Her necklace... He growled, grabbing the lion and he tugged, making something snap and she nearly cried for him to leave it alone, but he tossed it away from him, into the corn. She tried to see where it landed, but his hand grabbed her chin. "Tell me how much you love the pathetic excuse of a boy."

She didn't know what romantic love was, but she knew that if Greyback told, she would never, ever forgive herself. "Please... Please, don't go to him-" His eyes flashed suddenly.

"What did you just say?"

She swallowed. What was wrong with what she said? She knew she shouldn't speak, but she couldn't stay silent. "Don't go to him." He growled fiercely, more fiercely than she had ever heard him growl at her. Like she was one of the victims he was going to kill. It made tears pool in her eyes and she squeezed them tightly. This was it, wasn't it? "Don't tell him... I-I know, I should have done what he's asked... I know-"

"Then you should fucking do it," Fenrir growled at her. "Bloody fucking hell. I'm not going to save your neck every bloody time, girl. Sleep with the fucking idiot." By the time she mustered up some response, about how she knew she should already, he entered her so roughly that she sobbed, and he just grunted, pushing himself closer to his release.

She submitted, because she truly had no strength against a werewolf, and he wasn't going to let her fight her way out of anything. It would just make it more painful if she were to fight, and she would rather make it out of the field alive.

When he finished, he rolled off of her, to his feet and righted himself. She felt like hurling, standing herself, and her back hurt, as well as the many places he had grabbed her, bruising her.

She couldn't hear any fighting in the field, but she could hear the werewolf's breathing behind her as she surveyed the field around them. She had fought him, fought his advances at first. Would he report it to the Dark Lord? She had to do something to make him think it was loyalty to the Dark Lord, not the Order. "Hit me," she requested.

He wasn't expecting that one.

"What, girl?"

"Hit me," she repeated, turning to face him. "They have to think you knocked me out. I should have caught up to Harry by now. It'll be suspicious. Hit me hard, but don't do too much damage." He hesitated, unsure by her statement. "I'll scream for you next time," she continued, hoping it would be the last bit they needed for him to agree. Seeming to like the idea a lot, she felt his fist collide with her face once more, quickly followed by it punching her in the ribs. She grunted, the pain making stars appear before her eyes, but she took a deep breath, trying to keep from crying out.

"Still loyal, huh, girl?" Greyback hissed. His finger tilted her chin up to look at him. "After everything? You astound me." She hoped so. That was the goal. She had to make them trust her, afterall. And the way his eyes roamed her face, landing on what she knew was a dark bruise, she couldn't decipher it. It was like he knew her, but it wasn't her.

"I have to be," Scarlett answered. "He's going to win."

Greyback smirked and reached down to his feet, grabbing a familiar object. Her wand? He tossed it to her and she caught it instictively. "I won't hurt Potter... much. The Dark Lord wants him."

"I must say. A good plan you had. Did you know he was going to run out?"

"Our plan was to burn him out. Bellatrix thought he'd be more heroic." Well, she wasn't wrong. She nodded to him, and then walked away quickly, finding the lion necklace just a few feet from where the struggle had occured, going back the way she had come until she reached a path, one she knew Harry had walked through. And then her heart started to pound, and she let out a shuddering breath, trying to keep the tears at bay. She could think about what had just happened later. After the Death Eaters were gone.

The wand in her hand quickly cast a charm so that her hair was no longer a tangled mess, and she cleaned up her clothing from the few places Greyback's fingers had torn through. She took a deep breath, a calming breath, and Scarlett's fingers ran over the lion necklace in her hands. The chain had broken, and the lion was still.

"Stupify!" Harry! She took off, heading towards the voice, but she wasn't going fast enough. The black smoke in the air was approaching wherever he was, so she apaparated as well, and though it was black smoke, she landed behind Harry, so she could use the guise that he didn't see.

"Next time, let's not run off like an idiot," Scarlett snapped at him, her wand pointed at the stalks behind him, the pond sloshing under her bare feet. Merlin, could this place be any more difficult to duel in? The stalks creaked and Scarlett pointed her wand, nearly firing a spell when she recognized Remus.

His nostrels flared as he seemed to smell Greyback on her, but he didn't ask - something Scarlett found she was grateful for. Instead, he stood between her and Harry, pointing towards the other end of the clearing. Further protection.

"Where's Tonks?" she questioned.

"On her way," Remus murmured. He didn't want anyone to overhear that, which was smart. And suddenly Tonks appeared, taking their other exposed side.

A sudden sound made Scarlett tilt her head, staring at a spot over Harry's shoulder, nearly directly in front of him, but he didn't seem to notice. She narrowed her eyes and then gave a small nod of acknowledgement. Severus always told her that if a Death Eater confronted her in battle, she was to give a small sign of acknowledgement, a stare in the eyes, and then a quick nod. He assured her it would save her life if ever caught in crossfires.

Scarlett never thought she would need it. And then Scarlett heard it, the hissing noise. Scarlett only knew it to be Parseltongue, as she turned to face forward. A signal of an attack, which Bellatrix was warning her to. Did Bellatrix trust her? She supposed that was a compliment. When the spell suddenly was heading towards Harry, he was barely able to dodge, leaving Scarlett vulnerable, but she, too, twisted out of the way.

Suddenly, it was like a rain of spellfire. Curses were shot left and right and Scarlett felt her heart racing as she struggled to keep up, to block. It was certainly a workout, and certainly some training she needed to pick back up - to keep up to speed. She wasn't strong enough to last in a fight like this for long. And it worried her. How many more duels would she be in until the end of this wretched war?

More than she was prepared for, she knew that much. Considering Scarlett blocked more than she fired back, she knew that it would be reported to the Dark Lord - that he would be assured she didn't resist the Death Eaters attacking her.

And then the hissing was back, as the enemy fire ceased. And Scarlett knew it to be another signal... and then the black smoke was rising in the air as they apparated. Not only were the two Death Eaters outnumbered, but it appeared to be a test... a check in. To make sure she was loyal? To see who was residing at the Burrow? She wasn't sure.

"They're leaving," Scarlett murmured. But they weren't going in the right direction. "They're..." Her gaze traveled along their projected path and then she was running, her feet sloshing in the pond. "The Burrow."

She didn't make it in time, nor would she have, if she had gone any faster. The two Death Eaters slammed into the Burrow, causing dust to fly everywhere, and then fire erupted. The entire Burrow would be in flames in mere minutes.

As soon as Scarlett burst through the stalks, she spotted Hermione and Ron just making it out of the doorway. Hermione had a purple bag and Crookshanks in her arms, and Ron had a trunk dragging behind him, which Hermione took and seemed to sag from exhaustion as she stumbled over it.

"I got everything I could," Hermione admitted. And when she flipped the trunk open, Scarlett spotted many of the Weasley valuables. Shrunken furniture, clothing, trinkets, other trunks. Hermione had truly grabbed everything. Harry's arm linked with Scarlett's, as if to commend her for going after him.

"Leo!" Scarlett gasped, seeing Hermione with Crookshanks. But Leo... Leo wasn't with her.

"I-I couldn't grab him," Hermione said regretfully. "He wouldn't let me near him-"

It was the first true gift Scarlett had ever received. Not clothing, or freedom, or education... but a gift. A gift in exchange for nothing but friendship in return. Her cat. A living, breathing cat. Molly cried out as Scarlett shook out of Harry's hold on her arm and took off towards the home, her hands pulling her hair back so that it wouldn't catch, and she kicked the front door in, taking a deep breath, before she shoved her hand over mouth, her wand in another, and she cast an aquimenti before delving inside.

It was hot. That was the first thing she noticed. Hot and very difficult to see in. Leo. She had to find Leo. What had caught fire were the couches, the living room, some of the curtains. It was causing the wallpaper and rugs to catch, but the shot to the stairs was clear. She would be able to make it to the bedroom fine.

She hoped.

It got hotter the further up the stairs she went and she pushed open her bedroom door, spotting two of the three beds alit, but not hers. And her baby blanket... the baby blanket she had grown up with nestled under a very agitated, yowling cat. Scarlett scooped up her feline, and then the blanket, wrapping it around the cat - perhaps it would be comforted, despite the heat. And she checked the room quickly, making sure it was mostly empty - finding Hermione had grabbed pretty much everything. She was thorough in the boxing. Magic had to have been at work.

So she began the trek downstairs, but froze in the hall as she saw a few beams had fallen and the staircase was blocked by walls of flames.

She was trapped.

The cat yowled in her arms and she clutched it tightly to her, casting aquimentis, but it was no use. The fire was much too hot and too attached to the wood. She would need to find another way out.

Problem was, she wasn't sure of another way out. Not unless she used the window, but that was near Ginny's...

Ginny's bed. Scarlett turned back around, facing the bedroom and cast a reducto, sending the flaming bed through the flimsy wall, crashing out into the night below. A hole large enough for Scarlett to jump through. It was a three story drop, but it was better than burning to deal. Broken bones would heal. Death would be forever.

She quickly cast a cushioning charm on the grass below and held Leo close, before she leaped.

It was a long fall. At least, Scarlett felt like it was. She could see the size of the grass below her multiplying the closer she got, and the size magnifying. Until she was only an inch above it, hovering, and then she fell, just as the Burrow began to crumble.

"Scarlett!" she heard a voice scream. Molly. Scarlett gathered herself from the ground, coughing and she made her way around the corner of the Burrow, seeing a panic stricken Molly, and an equally as distraught Harry, being held back by Remus.

"She's there!" Ron cried, pointing in her direction. Scarlett clutched Leo to her, soothing the cat, and her steps were slow as she made her way towards the family. Smoke was dancing around her, making her light headed, and she was quite certain that she was covered in soot.

"Bloody hell," Harry whispered, hugging her tightly as she got near enough to them. "Don't ever do that again."

"I'm sorry," Scarlett murmured to him, before releasing him. "Ever try jumping out of a window? It's a bit fun."

He just shook his head, whether in disbelief or disappointment, she wasn't sure. Molly, satisfied Scarlett was safe, was staring at the home, now just a pile of itself, and burning brightly, like a bonfire.

Remus approached her as they waited for the fire to die down, to burn out. She was apprehensive, sitting on her rescued trunk, her fingers clasped around the necklace she torn off of her. It was her lion. It gave her strength even when she didn't know if she had any.

As Leo growled half-heartedly at Remus, him sitting down beside her, she tightened her fingers into the cat's fur, holding him close to her as well.

"What happened?"

She considered insisting that things were fine, that nothing had happened, but he was a werewolf as well. He knew how Greyback was. He could smell Greyback on her. Lying would be futile.

She sighed quietly before answering. "I didn't know he was out there... he likes me, which I suppose is a good thing. An alpha werewolf is fiercely protective... and he protects me, I suppose, in a way..." She wet her lips, still staring at the grass. "I didn't know... and when he grabbed me, and I screamed. We fought, but..."

"He's much stronger than you."

She nodded, her teeth nipping at the inside of her cheek. "I couldn't really do much. He said if I called for help, he'd rip my tongue out... I didn't doubt it."

"Nor should you have," Remus said quietly. "Do you need anything? Potions or-"

"No," Scarlett said quietly. "It's nothing new. I'm fine."

"Greyback is a werewolf. He could have seriously hurt you-"

"Like I said," Scarlett said quietly, glancing towards him to meet his eyes. "It's nothing new. Greyback is tame, compared." He didn't like this news any more than Severus did. "I trust him, to some extent. I've laid my life in his hands before..." The last time they had been alone together played through her mind. He had sworn not to tell the Dark Lord about Cormac. It would have been a punishment worse than death for lying to the Dark Lord.

"You can't trust him," Remus said firmly. "He will only use you for his own gain and then he will kill you just like he does everyone else." Scarlett winced, glancing towards the embers of the Burrow. "And then what?"

"I'd be dead," Scarlett said matter-of-factly. "But I'm not. I'd prefer not to talk about it anymore. I... I'm sorry."

"I understand. I am always here to talk, if you would like. I know we may not know each other very well, but Lily was one of my friends in school - one of my best friends. And I see so much of her in you... So if you need anything..."

She gave him a small, comforting smile. "Thank you..."

He nodded to the feline in her lap. "So, is this what you went in for?"

"He was a gift, from Draco," Scarlett said softly. "I couldn't let him die... not when... he's a living creature just as much as we are. He didn't deserve such a horrible death... And my blanket. I didn't know if Hermione got it or not, but I had to ... to check. It's been with me since I was found. It was the only thing I knew about my family for years - that they cared enough to stitch a blanket for me."

It was silent for a moment before Remus reached for it. "May I?" She let him take it from Leo, scooping it into his hands, and he flipped it to the pink stitching. His fingers traced it, much like Molly had done months ago, and he sighed quietly. "My home is in Ireland. It was twenty years ago." She glanced at him in surprise. "She was on a mission, there, or so she claimed. I always believed it was some peace from James before she was tied to him for the rest of her life. They were always either fighting or lovesick for each other... rarely was there a moment in between. It was normal for them. Especially since they were so bold with their opinions. Two months after the wedding, I was there. She would keep my home tidy. I'm a tempermental werewolf and I don't always have time for the cleaning bits."

Scarlett glanced down at the blanket as he continued. "And I remember one day walking into the house, after a transformation. Her scent was off, but I thought nothing of it. Why would I? I felt ill, and assumed it was because of me. But she had some fabric on her lap, white fabric, just like this and pink thread and she was sewing. She claimed it to be a present for Marlene McKinnon's cousin. I suppose I know better now."

"Why didn't you tell James that she was staying there?"

"She told me not to," Remus shrugged, passing the blanket back to her. She wrapped it around Leo once more, to give him warmth in the chilly night. "And I didn't. After two months, I had a mission in infiltrating Greyback's pack. To get information. I couldn't risk going back to check on her. And when I did go back, she was already in the safe house with James and pregnant with Harry. You had long been with the Malfoys. No one knew."

"Except for Dumbledore," Scarlett said quietly. She knew that bit.

"She loved you."

"Perhaps," Scarlett considered quietly. There were times she doubted it. Times when she dreamt of the many nights in Malfoy Manor, recovering from her visitors. "She also gave me away."

"She couldn't have kept you. James would have known you weren't his... It was better for Snape if no one knew you were his. He was a devout Death Eater then."

"I know," she said softly. "I just... I see how mistreated Harry and I were in our childhoods and it makes me so angry. So angry that she could have prevented this - if she had apparated away from Godric's Hallow with Harry, if she had kept me. How would things have changed? I think of it all the time."

"It's best not to dwell on the past..." His fingers suddenly touched her cheek and she winced, flinching back. "We'd best get a salve for that before it starts to bruise more. When we get to Headquarters, that's what we'll do right away."

"It looks worse than it is," Scarlett said quietly. "It'll heal in a few days."

"Why did you tell him to hit you? You knew how strong he was-"

She glanced at him sharply, her eyes widening in panic. "You heard that?"

Remus swallowed, glancing towards the cat in her lap. "I'm a werewolf, too. I have exceptionally good hearing. By the time I could get anywhere near you two... I'm sorry. I tried. But if I had ... gotten any closer, I was worried he would have killed you-"

"How much did you hear?" she whispered, almost as if she were praying it wasn't much.

"Enough. What did you beg him not to tell the Dark Lord?" Remus questioned. There was concern in his voice. Concern she supposed was warranted.

She closed her eyes, her fingers stilling in Leo's fur. "He knows I haven't slept with Cormac, as I promised the Dark Lord. He knows and he can ruin everything I've been working on for months now... but he won't. I don't know why, I don't know... but he's not telling. He hasn't for months, and he doesn't seem to want to. Last time, when I asked, he said that it wasn't the Dark Lord's business... that I was to protect my loved ones myself, and that he didn't want to contribute to anything... that's what I've gathered, anyway... I played on that, tonight..."

"And he hasn't given you any other reason?"

She shook her head, chewing on her bottom lip. "No. I don't know if he should have... should he have?"

He exhaled quietly. "This isn't the place to talk of it... Once we get to Headquarters, I'll tell you what you need to know..."

"Am I in danger?"

"If he's protecting you, he will do so until he has no reason to trust you," Remus said quietly. "Werewolves are very protective creatures. I'm overly protective of Dora, and Harry, and anyone else I view as family. He could range from protecting young girls to protecting those... that are different."

She didn't press. They didn't leave the Burrow's yard until nearly dawn, as the final embers died out, and the home was nothing more than a pile of charred rubble. And when they reached Headquarters, they did so with an almost mournful air. Harry seemed particularly perterbed to be at Grimmauld Place, but shuffled up the quiet, dusty stairs of the dark home with little complaint.

She let Leo loose and Remus brought her to the kitchen, offering her a cup of tea and he disappeared to go make some as she sat, her hands clutching at the smoke-smelling blanket in her lap.

She could hear murmured voices in the conjuction joining the kitchen to the dining room and she fidgeted slightly, nervous, as she heard Molly shriek. Her eyes squeezed shut, praying Remus wouldn't tell her what happened. Molly was so protective of her, had warned her not to go out there... She didn't want Molly angry with her for making that decision. 

There was murmuring, and when Remus returned, Molly was behind him, her eyes wide with fright. "Here's a few potions, dear," Molly murmured, giving Scarlett a few dusty vials. She recognized them immediately.

Healing potions that Madame Pomfrey had made her memorize for rape victims. With the war, Madame Pomfrey had said, it wasn't entirely uncommon. Scarlett took them, giving Molly a small smile. "Thank you."

"Here's some tea, with calming draught," Remus said, passing the glass to her. And then he sat across the table from her, heavily, as if the world was weighing on him. "The wards set by the Ministry fell. I'd even venture to say that they've been gone for the entire day. It should have been known when Tonks brought you back, and the wards didn't trip."

"I thought it was because they were expecting our arrival," Scarlett admitted.

"We should have paid more attention," he muttered. Molly stood there, watching Scarlett worriedly, like she wanted to say something. "Molly, why don't you check on the boys? I suggest warding their door so they don't get any ideas to wander off." Molly nodded immediately and Scarlett found herself alone with Remus. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Scarlett wasn't sure in the slightest, but she knew that she had to be. "I will be after a good shower," Scarlett admitted quietly. "Mr. Lupin... Thank you, for not making a big deal of this."

"I know how the boys would react." Yes, Scarlett knew how they would too. After they screamed and hollared at the world for how she was treated, Harry would start to blame himself. All of that could be avoided by simply not telling them. They didn't need to know. Molly, it seemed, knew. Remus knew. No one else really had to know. It was over. It wouldn't happen again, no matter what she had promised Greyback.

"Greyback once had a mate about... oh, a long time ago. Three or four years ago? It is a long time when you lose her-"

"And he lost her," Scarlett concluded, knowing Remus was answering her earlier question, before they had moved locations. She smelt of soot, and smoke and Greyback. Remus could no doubt still smell it on her.

"The Dark Lord reduces Greyback's numbers. Every so many for every mission Greyback is assigned. To keep him in line. And there's always the threat of the entire pack being wiped out if he messes up badly-"

"But Greyback's loyal, that's not fair," Scarlett said, confused. "Why would the Dark Lord-"

"It is our belief that the Dark Lord is... enforcing blood supremacy and in doing so, eliminating half-breed ranks." She blinked in absolute confusion.

"That makes no sense. Shouldn't he be ... rewarding Greyback? Or treating him as he does any other Death Eater?"

"He's a werewolf," Remus said with a shrug. "He doesn't get fair treatment. In one of the Dark Lord's raids... she was victim... And I'm pretty sure that Greyback has been even more ruthless since."

"Do you know what she looked like?"

Remus swallowed. "Her name was Rose... She was absolutely beautiful. Sweet, kind... I met her once. Years ago... She looked as her name suggested. Red hair, powder white skin... I suppose he sees her in you. And perhaps... and it is a stretch, that is why he's so protective of you." Scarlett thought back to when her and Greyback had been in the third floor bedroom, and he had seemed almost pained as he gazed at her.

"I think so too. I mean..." She hesitated. "He seemed upset when he was told he would ... uh, teach me things. And once we were alone, I was terrified. He knew it and he didn't... He didn't hurt me. He didn't even touch me, not until I had calmed down and..." She bit her lip. "You don't think that... He won't try to... to change me or anything, right? He's not in his right mind, sometimes, and... and he won't hurt me, right?"

"He won't change you for the purspose of mateship," Remus said immediately. "He couldn't. His bond was to his mate, and it will always be to Rose. He could change you, but I have a feeling that he would only be punished for doing that to you." She nodded in agreement. "As for hurting you... He will be emotionally unstable at times. It's best to limit contact. He could hurt you if he's in his wolf mode - or if he's agitated. Usually around the full moon. Avoid him then, if you are in a situation where you're near him." She agreed, yet again. "How does he act?"

"He's quite normal... I'm always afraid, but... after the inital fear, he almost... tries to calm me down, and ... Considerate would be a word I use, but mildly... as considerate as Greyback could get I suppose..." He seemed intrigued by this. "But I guess I know why. He feels guilty for his mate dying... He told me to protect the ones I care about, and that it wasn't the Dark Lord's business who I cared for... so he's trying to ... I guess make sure what happens to Cormac, Tyler, Severus... everyone I care for, doesn't end up as what happened Rose."

"You said considerate? Considerate how?"

She explained rather red-faced to a man she barely knew, yet knew she could trust, about her first encounter with Greyback - nearly three years prior. How he had seemed almost horror struck to see her, and then once he realized who she was - a servant, he had calmed. Yet had been dominate as well - but she supposed that was the alpha in him.

"If you-know-who trusts him with you, then he trusts him inexplicably to be tame," Remus said after a moment. "You are Voldemort's prize asset, at the moment. Voldemort wouldn't knowingly put you in harms way. He choose Greyback because he knew that you were comfortable with him."

"Comfortable is putting it mildly-"

"More comfortable than your other... as you put it, visitors. And he still wanted to punish you, so that he knew you were... inferior to him." She had to agree with that. Voldemort didn't do things just for the benefit of the person. Remus spun the tea cup slowly in his hands, the sound of it rubbing against the wood making her cringe slightly. "He may not want to hurt you, but he could, very easily... If he does anything... contact me. I can probably help more in werewolf situations than your father seems to think."

She gave him a small smile. "Thank you... I'm glad we talked about this... I feel like I understand him a bit better now." Her gaze dropped back to her fingers. "Ginny had almost gone out there... and what if he went after her? She..." Scarlett hated to think of what might have happened. "She could have died."

"She probably would have, but you followed instead..." Remus gave a sigh. "Don't run into burning buildings again. Molly nearly had a heart attack."

"I had to... I couldn't let my familiar die. He was a gift, from Draco, and... and..." Scarlett swallowed, tightening her hands around themselves, "he's a living thing."

"Hermione didn't mean it spitefully. The cat-"

"Of course not," Scarlett said immediately. "I don't think Hermione did it on purpose. I would never believe that," Scarlett insisted, afraid he thought she was thinking ill of the girl. She sighed quietly. "I just mean that... I couldn't let him die. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

She glanced up, meeting his eyes. He seemed surprised by the action, almost as if he wasn't used to someone meeting his eyes. "When you said Greyback would protect me... did you mean it? Or are you just saying that?"

"He could have hurt you a lot more last night, but he didn't," Remus said firmly. "He could have a lot more in the past, as well, but he didn't. So... yes, I meant it. But that doesn't mean you can trust him."

"I don't think I have a choice," she admitted softly.

He sighed quietly, agreeing. "I don't think you do, either." He cleared his throat. "Why don't you head on up to bed? If you need anything else, I'll see you at breakfast."

She nodded, grateful. And knew why Harry had been so fond of Remus. He was probably one of the kindest people she had ever met. "Goodnight, sir."

"Call me Remus," he shrugged. "Everyone else is supposed to, but they don't."

"Then, goodnight, Remus," Scarlett said quietly. He just nodded, and seemed worried as she left. All of them had to be worried. Her bedroom was empty when she arrived at it, and she could hear the voices of her friends in the bedroom next door - the boy's room.

On the other side of their room, she could hear the shower running and knew that the queue still wasn't at its end. All she wanted was a shower. She slid into her bed, sighing quietly as she let the dreamless sleep she had been fed take hold and drift her off.

She sat with Remus, enjoying his presence, as well as feeling comforted by his silence. He didn't feel the need to talk much, and she enjoyed that. She supposed they had much in common. They both had afflictions that made them unable to be sociable. To fit in with normal society. Their past would always overshadow their present. Their ... life would overshadow who they were.

She nearly fell from her seat as the door slammed open and Severus strode through, furious. She hated when he was angry. It was like a stone resting in her stomach.

"Snape-" Remus started, to direct the anger away from her, but it was too late.

"How stupid do you think you can get?" Severus snapped. His hands slammed at the edge of the counterspace, and he glared down at her. She shrank down into her seat, cringing. "Not only do you run out into a field infested with Death Eaters, but you then run into a burning building? Did you want to die last night?"

"No, I... I wasn't thinking-"

"Obviously," he hissed. She winced and glanced towards her fingers, and then his hands, nearly white as they pressed against the table. "You could have been killed. Or worse-"

"I'm fine," she insisted quietly. "Really. Nothing happened." Even though it was a lie, he didn't need to worry. "It was just a duel. And Leo was still inside-"

"He's a stupid cat, Scarlett. What would have happened if you had died? The Dark Lord would have been absolutely furious-"

"I'm sorry," Scarlett said, biting her lip. "I didn't mean to... to worry you, I-" She sucked in a breath and glanced up at him. "I wasn't going to let him run out there alone."

"Nothing happened?" he demanded. He grabbed her chin, jerking it so that he could see the marks on her cheek. She winced. She had forgotten. "This doesn't look like nothing. Who did this?"

"Some spellfire," she said quietly.

"You're lying."

There was silence for a few moments and Scarlett was almost certain Remus would tell what, or rather who, had truly done it to her. "I've checked it for any spell residue, but it seems to have dissipated. It's what we were doing actually, before you barged in here, Severus."

Severus released her chin, still angry, and she glanced towards Remus, who was giving her a pointed look. "Why don't you run along and find Harry before he wakes Walburga again, Scarlett?"

"Uh... sure... Thank you, sir," Scarlett said quietly. Severus glared at her as she grabbed her wand and nearly scurried from the room. As soon as the door shut, Severus spun and glared at Remus Lupin, but the wolf was sitting there calmly.

"Don't you dare lie to me about what happened-"

"I cannot tell you if I believe you'll react brashly," Remus said calmer yet. "Sit down and take a minute." Severus grunted, narrowing his eyes at the wolf, but did as asked. And once Remus deemed him calm enough, he told the usually level headed man exactly what had gone on in the field of corn.

There was the distinct voice of Hermione telling Harry to sit down as Scarlett walked up the stairs. She paused at the door, seeing Harry still red-faced, angry, and intent on leaving the safety of the Black House in order to go after Bellatrix Lestrange.

Three heads turned as she hovered in the doorway, immediately making Scarlett pause. "I... I placed a silencing charm on the portrait. The house-elf wasn't too happy, but... I think I managed to calm him down."

She had been woken eight times in the night by the portrait of the Black Mistress and eventually she had been fed up with being roused from a rest she desperately wanted. But now... now she wanted a shower. She hadn't had the chance. With everyone living in the home, and only one available shower that was clean and in working order, her shower had been pushed off.

She felt so dirty.

So... filthy. She could still feel Greyback on her, and her hair smelled of ash. She just wanted to soak in water, and soap and ... relax. And forget it happened.

But she doubted she'd be able to.

She didn't hear a response from them so she began to walk away, relieved to see the bathroom unoccupied, when she heard a rush of footsteps. "Wait, Scarlett-" Ron spoke, and she felt a hand on her shoulder. She stopped, unsure if she should turn or not. She decided to and he winced as she met his gaze. "I reckon you'd be pretty mad to date McLaggen if he was a bad bloke. I trust your judgement... But don't expect me to invite him over for tea."

She smiled at him, brightly, and he flushed. "Thank you... I worried you and Hermione hated me forever-"

"Bloody hell, we couldn't!" Ron insisted, almost offended. "I, er, just... what you did last night was pretty brave... stupid, but brave. And I reckon if you were as insane as everyone seems to think... well, you'd be a bit like Bellatrix by now, huh?"  
"I would hope not," Scarlett admitted quietly, but still a faint smile danced around her face.

"And I know you got hit by something out there... you could have died... I mean, those Death Eaters don't really play nice... So, don't do what I've been doing for six years... Harry's got Hermione and I to protect him, you know? But you've got other people you need to protect."

She was touched by how sincere he was, and how he seemed to be getting redder the more he talked. She hugged him so suddenly he didn't seem to be expecting it, and as she wound her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her height, she pressed as close to him as possible. "I'll always protect you three, you dolt."

"Dolt?" Ron muttered. "Is that what I am?"

He smelt of bacon, from that morning's breakfast. It made her giggle. "Of course not."

"Where are you going?"

"I was going to shower actually. I haven't had a chance-"

"Oh, uh, sure, and then why don't you hang out with us? I've barely seen you all break," Ron admitted.

"You've been avoiding me," Scarlett admitted when they pulled away. "And I don't think Hermione wants to talk to me-"

"Oh, er... right," Ron said awkwardly. "Well Harry and I do, at any rate. And I think Ginny's going to head up after she consoles mum yet again." Scarlett knew the woman was pretty inconsolable. It was her home, afterall, that had burned to the ground. "Yeah?"

It was an almost easy decision to make. "Yeah, okay. I'll be out of the shower in a few."

It took a bit longer, but Scarlett supposed that was because she was scrubbing her skin so fiercely that she felt nearly raw when she stepped out of the steam bath. She scrubbed her scalp, her neck, her arms, legs, any region Greyback had touched. Anything to make his touch go away.

And because she had scrubbed so hard, she was a bit pink as she looked in the mirror, and her skin itched where the soft cotton rubbed against it. Merlin, she felt like those lobsters from the dinner at the ball. She found a lotion by the sink with the promise to give soft skin and it was unscented, so she carefully pressed it once to squirt out a little bit, and then rubbed it on her shoulders, neck, and her stomach. They were the places she had scrubbed the hardest. Consequently, they itched the longer she was out of the shower.

She gathered her dirty clothing, wanting nothing more than to burn them, before she unlocked the bathroom door and left, the light immediately casting itself out in the room. She could smell Molly cooking lunch - a soup, it seemed, with many vegetables, meaning that it wouldn't be ready for a few more hours. Molly liked to serve the vegetables soft.

When she returned to the bedroom that she had stopped by before, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were once more in a heated discussion, and as soon as they noticed her, stopped.

"You're not very good at acting innocent," Scarlett told them carefully. She made her way towards her trunk, setting the dirty clothing in the discard pile, for washing later. She also reached for a fresh pair of pants, as the towel around her waist was not suitable attire, and Ron's cheeks turned into a bright red shade, almost the same as their hair, as Scarlett stepped into them, pulling them up and then putting the towel in the discard pile as well. "Honestly, you could at least attempt to act like you weren't talking about something you don't want me to overhear."

"Yeah, and you can?"

Scarlett smiled. "Of course. Remember last week when Ginny and I were talking about trains?" Ron nodded slowly, confused. "We were really talking about Dean Thomas."

"What?" Ron asked, surprised. "But... you didn't even like... I don't know how to bloody describe it, you didn't even make it seem like a change in conversation!"

"Exactly," Scarlett grinned. She shut her trunk, slipping her wand into her pocket, and then approached them carefully. Harry scooted over on the bed, giving her some room to sit beside him. "How are you guys? I... I haven't had a chance to talk to any of you since we got in last night... Things have been a little hectic."

"Mum's been crying non-stop you mean, and the Order's gone absolutely mental," Ron corrected. "Yeah. I'll say they have."

"We don't know how they got through the wards," Harry said after a minute. Hermione shot him a look. "We think you might know."

"You think I let them through the wards?" Scarlett asked in surprise, glancing between the three of them. Harry, at least, had the decency to look guilty.

"You didn't seem too surprised they were there," Ron pointed out. "And Remus says you were wicked out there, knew where they were exactly."

"Oh, well... I mean, I suppose I did. But that's only because Severus has been training me to know the Death Eater signals... I need to know them if I'm going to fight with them."

"Signals?"

"There's always an Inner Circle member," Scarlett explained. "And they know a few words of Parseltongue. Not much, but enough to hiss something. It's sort of like a command... To everyone else, it just seems like a hiss..." Scarlett shrugged lightly.

"Does the Order know these signals?"

"I think so," Scarlett admitted. "Remus and Tonks seemed to know where the Bellatrix and Greyback were at all times."

"Hey, where's your necklace?" Harry asked suddenly. "That one you've been wearing since you got back from McLaggen's?"

Scarlett frowned, biting her lip as she dropped her gaze. "It's broken... In the middle of all that running and fighting ... It must have caught..." She pulled it from her pocket of her jumper, the chain detached from the lion's head on one end. Destroyed. "Cormac will be so upset. It's so beautiful and it had to have cost a fortune-"

"Maybe Bill can fix it? He's good at that sort of thing," Ron spoke up. "He always fixed things around the house that got broken." He trailed off awkwardly. "Furniture, I mean, but it can't be that different... can I see it?"

She passed it to him gingerly, careful not to ruin the necklace further. The lion was still immobile. Did the magic break with the chain? She hoped not. "I spent hours trying to mend it this morning, but..."

"Are these diamonds?" Ron murmured in awe. "Bloody hell, Scarlett. This has got to be a few hundred galleons, at least! And it had to have been a custom design, too."

"Oh, I don't think he'd spend that much," Scarlett said nervously. "He can't have."

"If you think that's a bit much, she has more presents from him, too," Ginny's voice sounded and Scarlett flushed, glancing up to see her in the doorway. "The lion used to move. I think it was a complex charm laid into the melding of the metal."

"It was a portkey, too," Scarlett admitted quietly. "It would take me to Cormac's, if I were ever in danger. His wards are impenetrable. Stronger than Hogwarts. Stronger than the Minister's office. His dad is pretty influential, and anyone who wants anything would need to do so through his dad. It's a big deal. But he knows how dangerous what I do is... and his mother's a healer, so if I was ever injured... I know how to do enough wandless magic to cast a portus charm. It's a survival skill." Severus had insisted upon it while her side was still healing. Non strenuous exercises. "I'd be safe at Cormac's, regardless of the situation, with him or where I come from."

Scarlett, as she dropped her gaze, spotted Hermione frowning slightly. Most likely in disapproval. "What else did he get you?" Harry asked, confused. "More jewelery?"

"I... I haven't opened any," Scarlett admitted. "Yesterday was so chaotic and this morning I barely had a moment to myself."

Ginny grinned. "Good thing we're in our room, huh? Go on, open the box!"

"Oh, well there's candy. I knew that. But there are little things inside each one," Scarlett admitted. "And... I can only open one a day until term starts again-"

"Well, open two now, then!" Ginny cried, rushing forward and opening Scarlett's trunk. Suddenly the cardboard box was placed in front of Scarlett and she hesitated. She didn't know what they contained, but she knew Cormac had taken great care in buying them. It seemed to be well thought out.

She surveyed the box until she found two bags that were first in the alphabet.

"Why those two?" Hermione questioned, her gaze narrow.

Scarlett explained the rules and bit her lip. "I don't think I can eat these all today, though. That is so much chocolate."

"So just take out the presents," Ron insisted. "Bloody hell, I want to see what else he got you!"

She didn't think Ron would be so excited over this, especially since he wasn't too fond of Cormac. But Scarlett opened the first bag, gently moving the chocolate duds until she found a small wrapped package. And it jingled. She sincerely hoped it wasn't more jewelery. It had to be incredibly costly.

"Open it already!" Ginny insisted, lightly jostling Scarlett's arm. Scarlett did so, surprised to see a set of keys and a note. "Well?"

"You'll need this to open the last present," Scarlett read aloud. She pulled out the keys, inspecting them. Much too small to be to a door or anything. And much too large to be for a diary or something similar. It puzzled Scarlett. And there was no writing on the keys to give a hint. "I'm so confused."

"Maybe it's a box?" Harry suggested. "Full of more milk duds."

Scarlett giggled. "Oh, I hope not. I don't think I need anymore. I'll grow three sizes if I eat all of these."

"Open the next one!" Ginny pressed. "Come on!"

"Do you know what he got her?" Ron questioned, sneaking a few milk duds from the bag before Scarlett could seal it up. She giggled as he snapped his hand back, like she would scold him.

"Of course I do," Ginny grinned. "He was practically a mess trying to figure out what to get you. He asked Zabini before he asked me, so he was pretty distressed. And I helped him with the little things."

Scarlett was warmed he went through so much trouble. "What did you get him then?" Ron questioned.

Scarlett flushed. "Well, a quite large jar of chocolate frogs. And Quidditch tickets-"

"World Cup tickets," Ginny interrupted.

Ron's eyes bugged. "You bought Cormac Mc-bloody-Laggen World Cup tickets? How? I didn't even know they were on sale!"

"Er, well, I found out who was in charge of organizing the World Cup - Ireland, since they apparently won the last World Cup. And since it's two years from now, they were pretty surprised by the request, but gave me a price and sent me four tickets. I was pretty surprised, too. They were much cheaper than I thought, but they're valid. I asked Blaise and Draco both, and they assured me they were real. I do hope he likes them... I didn't really think to-"

"You're bloody joking," Ron whispered hoarsely. "You didn't buy him World Cup tickets..."

"You don't think he'll like them?" Scarlett asked worriedly. "I just knew he liked Quidditch, and his broom collection-"

"He's a Quidditch fanatic," Harry whispered, amazed himself. "He's bound to love them... Bloody hell, you never said! That had to cost a bloody fortune, too! Where did you get the money?"

"Severus has been giving me money every week... an allowance, I think, in case I need to purchase something for my coursework... He's been very generous."

"What did he say, when he opened them?"

"He hasn't yet," Scarlett giggled. "I buried them in a jar of chocolate frogs, and he can't get the tickets until he eats all fifty seven frogs." Ron's eyes bugged. "So, he hasn't told me what he's thought yet..."

"He might marry you."

"Um, no," Harry said seriously. "Not anytime soon."

Marriage. . . Scarlett never liked the idea of marriage. She didn't want another master. She wanted to live her life without having to listen to someone's orders for once... And from what she had seen of Lucius and Narcissa, marriage wasn't that.

"Open the next one!" Ginny pressed.

Scarlett dug through the chocolates until she found a small wrapped gift, firmer than the box had been, and it was also sort of flimsy at the same time. She tore at the wrappings carefully until she was presented with a book. "Cinderella," she read aloud. "I've never heard of it before."

"It's not just Cinderella," Ginny explained excitedly. "It's a whole bunch of Muggle fairytales that are hundreds of years old. When you're a kid in the Muggle world, you're read them. Rite of passage. Like the Wizarding World's got Tales of Beedle the Bard-"

"Oh, wicked. What else is in there?" Harry asked. "Petunia used to read these to Dudley all the time, even though he denies it."

Scarlett read the titles along the spine. "Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, Pinnoccio, and other tales of Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm Brothers." She opened it lightly, the hardback cover thick and beautifully laid with gold filigree. "It's custom made."

"He got in touch with a book binder in London," Ginny told her brightly. "And he got all of the stories he could think of binding."

Scarlett shook her head. "This had to have cost... a fortune." It was such a beautiful bind. "But these are the fiction books he talked about? Where they tell stories that aren't true?"

"Yup," Ginny grinned. "He said you guys would be heading there yesterday though-"

"Tonks arrived a few hours early," Scarlett admitted. She bit her lip, flipping a few pages until she reached beautiful illustrations depicting a blonde haired woman in rags. "What exactly is the purpose of these books, then, if they don't have information?"

"To entertain," Hermione answered somewhat sharply. Scarlett glanced up, jumping slightly. "To promote good morals, or to discourage bad. Books don't need a purpose."

Oh, well, that wasn't entirely true, but Scarlett decided it wasn't worth it to point that out. She ran her fingers over the book's cover once more, before she set it down besides the keys, and tied up the bag of chocolate.

"You've got some wicked bruises on your arm," Harry said as Scarlett reached to put the box back onto her trunk. Scarlett winced slightly.

"It was Greyback, wasn't it?" Hermione asked suddenly. "Remus said something... Asked Molly to make a potion because Greyback had gotten you-"

"Gotten you?" Harry exclaimed. Scarlett winced. "He didn't bite you, did he?"

"No," Scarlett said firmly. "He just surprised me, is all. . . I didn't know he was out there... but I'm fine."

"You have bruises on your arms," Ron said from the far side of the room. "And on your neck."

"He grabbed me-"

"And shot you with spellfire?" Harry asked skeptically. "Is this about what you told me and Cormac a few months ago?"

"No-"

"What did she tell you?" Hermione demanded.

"That Greyback's been-"

"No," Scarlett said firmly, interrupting him. He immediately shut his mouth and Scarlett winced slightly, biting her lip. "I mean... no, it's not that."

"What is this all about?" Hermione pressed. "I think we deserve to know if Greyback is involved-"

"It's nothing," Harry insisted. "It was only one time and Scarlett was pretty fine aftewards-"

"Fine from what?" Hermione asked shrilly.

Harry glanced at Scarlett, but Scarlett just shrugged, dropping her gaze. "The Dark Lord thinks he could teach me a few things. Survival things... that's all."

"And does your boyfriend know?" Hermione questioned, almost coldly.

"She told me and Cormac at the same time," Harry spoke up. Scarlett glanced at him in surprise. Why did he keep lying for her? Though, that bit was true, not what Greyback was teaching her. Lying was awful and... yet she didn't want to tell them the truth anyway. So she let Harry lie for her. "It was months ago, she had been called away... and she was gone an awful long time... well past midnight and-"

"So, what? He took you to the woods, taught you how to build a fire? This is Fenrir Greyback. I don't buy it for a second."

Hermione was much too smart to buy it. "It's over now," Scarlett said quietly. "Can we please just forget about it? I would like to."

"No, why did Greyback hurt you? What's he been doing?" Ginny pressed. "What does the Dark Lord want from him?"

"To teach me things," Scarlett promised. "I can't say anything else. Severus made me promise I'd keep it quiet. It could ruin a lot of things we've been working on if it were to get out-"

"Like what?" Hermione asked sharply. "Our friendship? Probably, if you're a traitor-"

"Hermione!" Ginny cried. "If she doesn't... if it's as bad as she's making it sound, maybe we shouldn't know-"

"Harry gets to know. McLaggen gets to know, before we do," Hermione goaded. "Is she saying we're not trustworthy?"

"No," Scarlett insisted. Is that what they thought? Never! She would never think that. "It could ruin what I can have with Tyler. It will help me keep Tyler."

"Greyback can do that for you?" Hermione asked sarcastically. "Right."

"He's protecting her," Harry spoke up when Scarlett didn't answer. Scarlett bit her lip, dropping her gaze as she picked up her book, grabbing the keys and moving towards her bed. Ron handed her the broken necklace back silently. "We don't know why, but he's keeping her safe."

"His mate, Rose, looked like me," Scarlett said quietly. "And he's trying to make sure I don't end up dead like her... It's the best protection we can ask for... Severus can't always keep me safe, and Greyback can do more in certain areas. If the Dark Lord trusts him with me, then I can trust Greyback not to hurt me." She hesitated slightly, turning back to them as she set the necklace on the foot of her bed. "Which is why no one can know. Association with a werewolf is forbidden. It's cause for ostracization. I could never keep Tyler in my custody, especially since it's Greyback. And ... It's dangerous. You must understand that. I have to trust him."

Hermione pursed her lips. "You're telling me he protects you because you look like his dead mate?"

"It's Remus's theory," Scarlett admitted quietly.

"Then explain the bruises. How can you call that protection if he's man-handling you," Ron countered.

Scarlett hesitated. "I... I can't..." She glanced to Harry for help. "He doesn't know his own strength, sometimes... He was angry with me for running after Harry. I was putting myself in danger-" It could be believed, if they didn't think about it much. "He's much like Remus is to Harry, except towards me, I suppose." Although Remus wasn't as sadistic and didn't hurt Harry like Greyback hurt her. "You can't breath a word of this... please... If anyone were to know, if the press were to get wind... I don't know what the Dark Lord would do."

"A Rita Skeeter fiasco all over again," Harry muttered dryly. "She didn't deserve being strung up."

"It was either her or Lavender Brown," Scarlett said softly. "We had to make a choice."

"We?" Ginny whispered. "Who?"

"Dumbledore, Severus, and myself... we had to... Lavender was too young - she's not even an adult in the Wizarding World-"

"You killed someone!" Hermione cried.

"Someone would have died either way," Scarlett returned. "We had to do what was best for the Order. Lavender's death would have done nothing except made her parents grieve. Skeeter's death meant the Order didn't have a spy, and the Order didn't have a threat... I'm sorry. But it had to be done either way. The Dark Lord wouldn't take no one as an answer."

Hermione just shook her head, seemingly horrified. Scarlett knew it was horrible. She lived with the guilt everyday, afterall... But if it had been Lavender? If she had to look at the empty bed beside her own every day... Scarlett wasn't sure if she would have been able to handle it. She knew Severus might have the need to obliviate her.

"I need to finish my Healer reading," Scarlett said quietly, reaching for the book on her nightstand. "I should go to the library."

Silence met her statement and Scarlett quickly exited the room, her cheeks feeling hot and her book tucked into her chest as she kept her head down, walking as quickly as she could up the stairs to the library.

Skeeter... Admittedly, Scarlett hadn't really thought much of the woman. And because of that, it made her wonder if perhaps she was a horrible human being. A person that felt guilt and regret for the death of someone was surely human - and yet... she was almost glad Skeeter was dead. Glad Tyler was safe. And she felt selfish and demented for it. She never valued anyone's life over her own before, never valued anyone or anything under her, far above her being Tyler, her father, Cormac, her friends, people that weren't her friends but could have been or could be.

She was under everyone. And yet... she felt as though Skeeter's death was something... something that wasn't above her. At least, not until she was buried six feet under the ground. Then everything would weigh on her - all of the pain she may have caused anyone. Or will cause anyone... The Dark Lord had plans that she knew she wouldn't be prepared for. Plans that may lead her to leave... She couldn't play puppet forever. Severus knew that. And if it was ever too dangerous, Severus would tell her to leave... wouldn't he?

She hoped so.


	47. Manifesting Fears

Severus was never quite happy whenever she saw him later that day. In fact, he brooded - she believed that was the word Ginny used. And Scarlett found it fit his mood quite well, as it hardly changed.

"We're going to train, sir?" she questioned, glancing around the dusty and abandon attic. There were quite large feathers in the far corner, in what looked like a nest made of blankets. She had no idea what that was used for. And there was a distinct odor that made her want to gag, as well. Perhaps something had died up here?

Or at least lived.

"Any lack in your training will only lead to you being even more unprepared," Severus stated firmly. He didn't seem to like being up at the top floor any more than she did. "Keeping you vulnerable to attack. I refuse to let what happened yesterday happen again."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Severus snapped, and he was suddenly so angry. Scarlett winced, dropping her gaze. She hadn't been thinking. "You could have died, Scarlett."

"Harry couldn't go out there alone. Bellatrix would have killed him."

"And she would have killed you in the process."

She knew that, too. It wasn't a good excuse. She squeezed her eyes shut and said so quietly, she wasn't sure he heard her. "I was distracting her. I thought if... if she was following me, Remus would find Harry first."

There was silence and she didn't dare look at Severus. So the silence stretched on as she kept her eyes closed, tears welling behind them unbidden. And when he finally spoke, there was so much anger hidden in his words, she swore he might have struck her if he was a lesser man. "You were attracting her to you, and Greyback found you." She just nodded mutely. "How stupid are you?"

"I'm sorry, sir."

"I've been training you for months, teaching you everything I know," Severus growled out. "Taught you how to fight, how to duel, how to think, and how to act when around them. And what do you do?" She didn't answer. There was no need to. "You throw it all away and act like a stupid Gryffindor!" She swallowed, nodding again. "How many bruises do you have?"

"Enough."

"Everything that happened last night happened because you didn't use what I taught you." Taught her. No, she hadn't used anything taught to her, not even what Greyback had. She was... she was like a Lavender Brown last night. It made her feel ill. "You panicked, you acted without any clear thoughts, and that's unacceptable."

"Enough," she said more strongly, glancing up. "I screwed up. I know I did. I'm sorry. I'm sorry you wasted your time for nothing. I'm weak, I'm ... I'm worthless. I .... I shouldn't have done that, but I don't know why I did. Harry couldn't die. I couldn't let him die. And I don't know why that was the response I jumped to, but it was."

He sighed, his fingers pinching at his nose as he turned away from her. "When was the last time you properly rested?"

"I woke up at two, and Harry was shouting, and he woke Mrs. Black up..." Scarlett sighed, sniffling. "I tried to sleep, but-"

"We can't train if you're frazzled, still," Severus stated. "Take a break, some light reading or a long bath." He shook his head, moving towards the door. "When you've calmed down, we can continue where we left off."

"Sir, I... Wait," Scarlett insisted. He halted immediately. "I just want you to know that I never meant to disrespect your training. It was my fault, and... I shouldn't have done what I did, I know that." She swallowed. "I didn't mean to make you angry, or to disrespect you, sir. I ... I'm sorry. I should have listened to you."

He stared at her for a moment, before nodding. "Yes, you should have. Nothing would have happened."

"Harry could have died," Scarlett corrected. "And I mean truly this time." He didn't seem to lighten the mood with her attempt at humor. "Harry's too important for the war. And me... I'm just a pawn in the Dark Lord's game, to get information. The war can do without. You said it yourself, we're likely not to survive this war."

"And Tyler?" She winced as he made his point. She was foolish.

"He has Blaise."

"What did the two of you discuss upon your return to the Burrow?"

Scarlett saw that Severus looked worried, almost too concerned to be just worried about what they discussed. Worried about her? Remus hadn't.... Remus hadn't told him, had he? "He says that he will refuse to take the mark if asked. I ... He can't do that, sir. I made him promise not to. If he refuses the Mark, the Dark Lord will kill him- he can't... he can't kill Blaise. Then Tyler would have no one."

Severus's jaw clenched. "He will be asked to take the Mark eventually. The Dark Lord will not allow someone to tie you to him to remain loose, neutral or not." Scarlett knew that. "And he will be treated just as the other Death Eaters will when the war ends."

"Azkaban," Scarlett whispered. Her eyes were wide and she glanced up at Severus. "There has to be another way. Some other way for him to stay alive."

"There isn't."

Scarlett felt her face screw up, as if she was in pain and she turned from Severus, her eyes full of tears again. Tears she couldn't allow to fall. "No... No, sir, Blaise can't... he can't have Azkaban. He didn't want to do - he doesn't want to do anything like that. I'm making him ..." She turned to face Severus. "No. There has to be another way. There has to be. Blaise can't..." She sucked in a breath, to keep from panicking. "Blaise can't die. Nor Azkaban... I can't let him die in Azkaban-"

"What's wrong, Scarlett?"

Everything. Blaise, Draco, the Death Eaters, Tyler's safety. It was all wrong. It was all at jeopardy. Herself and Severus, too. And once she was gone, who would fix the other problems? They would die. All of them. "Do you ever have nightmares?" He gave a short nod. "I have them every night," she said quietly. "They haunt me. All of my... my visitors. And then my dream morphs, and I'm finding you, or Tyler or Blaise... Cormac... And they're dying."

"Every night?" Severus questioned.

"Yes. Every single night." She bit her lip. "I know I should have told you, but I thought, if ... if I could bear them every night, I'd ... I'd get over them. Like my boggart, but they get worse the more used to them I get." He gave a short nod, as if he understood. "How do I make them go away?"

"You can't without overcoming them in real life." She knew that. "Have you told anyone else?"

"No... no, they would worry. They would make it a big deal, and they wouldn't leave me alone." She glanced back towards him, her gaze finding that he was deep in thought. "I can't tell them. They wouldn't understand. They'd make it seem like I'm going crazy or something." She hesitated. "You can't tell them about my nightmares, sir. Please... Especially not Harry, or Ginny. They seem to take my health onto their own plate."

"As they should." She sighed. He would tell them, surely, then. "Someone you're close to needs to know, so that they watch out for you, should it be too much. Someone needs to know, Scarlett."

Scarlett didn't know who to tell. "In my house... or another?"

"Preferably yours, so they will see you at night and in the morning." She could understand his reasoning for that. To make sure she didn't turn... into Bellatrix, or someone similar. She supposed she was in the right circumstances for that. "Someone you will see regularly."

"I've started to train in the mornings with Cormac," Scarlett admitted. "He meets me in the Room of Requirement at six every morning. I.. I can tell him. He won't..." She bit her lip. "He won't make a big deal of it. At least, I don't think he will." She rubbed at her face with her hands, thinking quickly. "I can tell him when we get back to Hogwarts."

"Very well. If you trust him, then that's acceptable."

"It's not that I don't trust the others, I do," Scarlett stressed, biting her lip once more. "But Harry's mind, it's not protected. And I would tell him, I trust him more than anything, too. And Blaise, and Draco, but Draco's getting more distant, and he looks ill. And I know that he's been marked, so I can't give him such a vulnerability he could accidentally let slip. And Ginny... She's a wonderful choice, but she would tell Harry and Hermione. And Harry's mind's unprotected, and Hermione hates me..." Scarlett shook her head. "Cormac."

"Very well," Severus nodded. "I'll keep it secret. But should I find it a problem, should I find that you're getting worse, I will step in."

"Thank you, sir." She released her breath, finding that it was shaking and she felt a bit faint. She needed to sit down. "A bath, you said?"

"Yes. Preferably with a Calming Draught put in the bath water. It will help relax you. You're all over the place, jumpy..." She was. Her hands felt like they were shaking. Were they? She glanced to them, and found that they were. Squeezing her hands tight, she took another breath. "Things will be alright, Scarlett." Was he reassuring her or promising her? Again, she wasn't sure.

"I hope so." He just nodded to the door, to signal she was alright to leave. She took the opportunity immediately. The fresh air from the horrid smelling room cleared her mind a bit, and she used the privacy to wipe at her eyes, knowing that she couldn't be seen in the state she was probably in. It would just make Harry even more angry with Severus.

How much longer would she have to hide everything from her friends, for fear that it would backfire? How much longer would the war last for?

"Scarlett?" She jumped, her hand dropping from her eyes, to see Harry standing on the stairs, worried. "You okay?"

She gave him a bright smile. "Fine. I have the day off so I'm going to spend some time in the spare room reading." Harry looked confused. "I just don't want to be disturbed. I also might catch up on some sleep, since you woke the dead last night."

"She got away," Harry said, his anger so sudden that it frightened her. Severus's anger she could understand. He was her father, and he was angry with that fact that she was in danger. But Harry's... "She should have died yesterday, but she got away."

"And I couldn't sleep all night because of it," Scarlett told him simply. She moved past him, seeing how his anger morphed into guilt. It was like he had no control over his emotions - like he was all over the place. "Next time, sound-proof the room."

"How can you talk to him?" Harry demanded. "How can you even look at him, knowing what we know?"

She paused on the landing, glancing up at Harry, who was staring at her like she had lost her mind. She supposed she was looking at him the same way. "I trust him with my life, and with many other lives. Whatever you think you understand is wrong. Draco, nor my father, would ever hurt anyone."

"You say that now. But once they hurt you? Then what?"

"Then it won't be anything new," Scarlett said evenly. "I've been hurt before, and I'll be hurt again. I can live with it, and I can rest easy." Not entirely. "You aren't dealing with it, Harry. Being angry at Bellatrix isn't going to solve anything. She's still going to kill people, and she's still going to enjoy it. It's what she does. It's how she gets so excited. Yesterday, she played a game with you, she was testing you, and what did you do?" He began to look ill. "You walked right into her game. And you've done it before, and you'll do it again. Ginny told me about the Ministry last year. You walked right into a trap, despite everyone warning you it was so."

Now, he seriously looked ill. "That was different, I thought he had Sirius."

"And he didn't," Scarlett pointed out. "And Bellatrix lured you out into the field to kill you, and you walked right into it."

"Scarlett, stop it," Harry snapped.

She chewed on her lip, knowing she had stepped a bit too far. "I'm sorry. I'm on edge."

"I think it's safe to say we all are," he agreed. He glanced towards the door Severus still hadn't emerged from. "I don't trust you with him."

"I'm not asking you to. I trust him. It's enough for me."

"I don't trust him at all." Scarlett thought that went without saying. "He's not a good bloke, no matter what he's been telling you."

"He's taught me how to survive in this war," Scarlett shot back. "He's taught me how to fight, how to use my magic in a way I never knew I could before. How can I say he's not a good man? He's the best man I know."

Harry shook his head. "Has he brainwashed you?"

She snorted. "I thought I had trust issues. . . You really need to learn to trust people, Harry."

"You need to learn how to trust people properly." She frowned, moving towards the stairs once more.

"Maybe," she agreed. "Or maybe I'm not pig-headed and think that the world revolves around me. Just because I don't see him like you do doesn't mean that he's a bad man. He's done bad things, sure, who hasn't? But I have and I will, too." She met his eyes, and he had to glance away. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"No, of course not."

She nodded carefully. "Then why does it make him?"

"Because he's a Death Eater."

"So am I," Scarlett snapped. "So is Lucius, and Bellatrix, and Goyle, and Crabbe. Does that make me as bad as them?"

"No! That's different."

"No, it's not," Scarlett told him carefully. "The world isn't just black and white. There are a lot of grays in between."

"He's bad news, and no matter what he tells you, that's not going to change-"

"Why do you only see the bad in people?" Scarlett countered. She had noticed it, when they first had met. Immediately, he hadn't trusted her, because of the Malfoys. But he had gotten to know her slowly, and had learned she wasn't like the Malfoys - like what he assumed they were. He hated his aunt and uncle. He despised Draco and Bellatrix - despised her own father. Yet he didn't see them in her, in any aspect. He had gotten over her friendship with others that he didn't approve of.

"I don't," Harry insisted.

"You do," Scarlett insisted. "Everyone, you only see the bad in them until they can prove they're good. What did I do to prove it? What did Cormac do? Draco and Blaise? What did they do to prove that they weren't bad, for you to trust them?"

"They protect you," Harry insisted. "And you proved that you weren't going to murder us in our beds. You're my sister-"

"And Sirius was Regulus's brother," Scarlett returned. "Yet, Sirius bullied and acted so horribly towards anyone he saw inferior. He despised my father, and he made you despise him even more than you did before. So, what was it about Severus that makes you hate him so much? Sirius would have gotten away with murder, in fifth year, if your father hadn't intervened. And who would have been blamed for that murder?"

"Shut up! You have no idea what you're talking about!" Harry roared.

"Sirius would have let Remus take the blame, because no one would believe that anyone but the werewolf that tore him apart was responsible, and that's absolutely horrible. Sure, Sirius may have been a great man to you, but he was an awful man to others. Don't you realize, the only way you trust people's character is if they've been good to you, or someone you care about. You don't care if they've done something else. Who begged the Headmaster to put your parents into hiding?" Scarlett taunted. "Who begged the Headmaster to let me stay at Hogwarts, when we found out Lily was my mother? Who, Harry?"

Harry looked red, look so enraged. "Scarlett! Shut up."

"Severus did. Who stopped you from falling off your broom, murmuring the counter-jinx, in first year? Who spent all of second year trying to find that stupid chamber of secrets, to keep the stone safe? Severus did. Who was under the same assumption as the rest of the school that Sirius Black was trying to kill you and went out to the Shrieking Shack to save you, never mind that Sirius had almost killed him? Severus. Who was monitoring people in the school, trying to figure out who put your name in the Goblet of fire? Severus. Who reported to the Order when you followed a stupid, fake vision to the Ministry? Severus did. Because he's to be trusted. Because he's a good man."

"Who bullies Neville Longbottom every chance he can?" Harry countered. "Who belittles every Gryffindor he can find. Who despises Ron, Hermione, and I?" He took a few steps down toward her, and she stood her ground, her chin raised defiantly.

"Who is forced to act that way due to the fact that eyes are always watching? Every action he takes is reported back to the Dark Lord. Every preferential treatment, every praise for a Gryfindor is a sign he's a traitor. Every ounce of treatment he shows towards the Slytherin is all for show, yet it's all you see. Despite all the time he's helped you. Why?"

"Because he's killed people, Scarlett!"

She shook her head, moving down the stairs. "Once you stop acting like a stuck-up Pureblood, Harry, maybe you'll realize that people can be good."

"Like Greyback?" Scarlett flinched. "Like those other men? Do you see some good in them?"

"Greyback's different," Scarlett insisted, trying to move down the stairs faster. The faster she could move, the farther away from him she could get. "He may be vile, but he's protecting me. And I have to trust him, because if I don't, he'll kill me, and get Severus killed too." Harry was following her, his footfalls just as fast as hers.

"And Lucius?"

"He can get Tyler killed, and I can't allow that to happen."

"And Snape? Why do you think he has good?"

"I just told you why. He's proved it numerous times. Maybe you should ask Mum, Harry. She'll agree with me, don't you think?" Harry's steps faltered.

"Don't talk about her."

"She's my mother, too," Scarlett returned. "I can talk about her. I have the right to talk about her." She paused on the stairs, turning to look up at Harry. "You missed her, just like I did. We both dreamed about her walking into our lives. I would spend years begging Lucius to tell me about her, but he would never say a word. I spent years sitting in my room in the dungeons waiting for someone to realize that their daughter was still alive. And I know you did the same. You hoped every night that someone would take you away from the Dursleys."

"How did life with the Malfoys make you trust people? How can you trust them? They did this to you-"

"They did what they could to save my life. They knew the Dark Lord would return, and I would be killed for being a daughter of a traitor, and Severus would never be trusted. They knew it wouldn't end well for me. They couldn't keep the rouse up for long. I was safer there, despite what happened. Lucius beat me, yes, and it was awful, and I won't forget it, but I forgive him for it. I trusted Narcissa, and Draco... because I love them. They are my family, they will always be my family. Lucius is sick, and he's doing what he can to keep his family alive." She swallowed. "And at that time, I wasn't family anymore. But he still did what he could to protect me from certain death. You've seen it." Harry looked green. "How did the Dursley's make you not trust anyone, Harry?"

"I grew up with lies," he whispered. "My parents died in a car crash, they told me. My parents were nothing but bums on the street. I grew up believing that my aunt and uncle were the good people in my family, and I truly believed that my parents were awful. And I spent years believing that, all for it to be tossed up in the air when Hagrid stops by and tells me that my parents saved the Wizarding World, but they had to die to protect me." Scarlett swallowed, seeing the tears in his eyes. He was lost. He had never known what true family was, and it saddened her. "And then Hogwarts, and friends and... it was so different, but right from the get-go, a professor, someone I'm supposed to trust is trying to kill me. And then another one is trying to kill me. And then we can't even walk the halls of Hogwarts without threat of being killed by some giant bloody snake...

"And then I found my parent's killer, only for that to be a lie too, and to finally get some father figure in my life. Mr. Weasley is great and all, but he's not my family - not like Sirius or Remus, you know?" She knew. The Weasley family was lovely, but they weren't family - not like the Malfoys or Severus. They were warm, and loving, and kind, but they wouldn't be blood family. Only family in words. "And then I trust my visions, because they saved Mr. Weasley, and ... I get my godfather killed." She supposed that would be enough to cause him not to trust anyone. "Teacher after teacher I couldn't trust, when I thought I could. I don't even know if I can trust Dumbledore." Scarlett winced. She didn't trust the old man very much either. "So yeah, I don't trust people, because they aren't worth trusting."

"Do you trust the Weasleys?" Scarlett asked. He nodded. "Hermione?" Another nod. "Me?"

"Of course."

"Then you know how to trust people. You have to trust people in this war. It's the only way we'll survive."

"And trusting Greyback and Lucius... that'll keep you alive?"

Scarlett gave a short nod. "And Tyler, and Severus. Too many people are on the line for me not to trust them. Our mother spent years putting faith in others, and she survived."

"But they trusted the wrong person."

"That was a bad judgement call," Scarlett admitted. "But was she ever wrong any other time?"

"No. Not really."

"He's a great man," Scarlett said quietly. "I know you don't see it, and I'm not going to force you to, but I trust him. He's saved so many lives, including my own. He's taught me so many things I would never know otherwise. I trust him. He's never given me any reason to doubt that trust."

"And the Vow?"

She swallowed. "That's different, Harry. He has no choice but to follow it."

"I would rather die than betray the Order."

She shook her head. "Sometimes, people don't have that choice. If he dies, he can't keep the worst away from me. I'll have to go in deeper, I'll have to go more than every Saturday. I'll have to ... to participate more than I do - kill people, or torture... As long as he listens, I don't have to do that. So whatever the Vow has him do, it'll protect me somewhat. And Tyler. He's done nothing but protect me, and I think the Vow proves that he'll do anything to protect me."

"Yeah, I guess," Harry agreed. "Don't you think... I don't know, that it's a bit ... incriminating, though?"

"We all do wrong things in the War. I got Skeeter killed, because I wasn't careful. I didn't think to be. And more people will die because of us. Pretty unlucky siblings, aren't we? Between the two of us, we could tell a real ugly tale."

Harry snorted. "Yeah, I guess. Let's not go writing anything until after the war, alright?" He would have to write the story alone.

"I'm going to take a bath and read," Scarlett said quietly. "Can you please stop shouting for now? My head is beginning to hurt." And it was. It was like she was building a migrane and it was going to take a while for it to go.

"Yeah... sorry."

"Do you have anger problems?"

"No."

The annoyed way he answered was the truth to her. She just nodded and turned, and left, regardless of whether he had more to say or not. She just wanted to stop the growing migrane. When she got to the bathroom, a bath was drawn, and the book of fairy tales was resting on the sink. A calming aroma was in the air.

She took a step out of the bathroom, into the hall, and spotted Ginny. "Is someone using the bath?" she questioned.

Ginny frowned. "No, why?"

"It's drawn... And it looks like someone was going to read my fairy tale book-"

"Oh, maybe someone drew it for you," Ginny suggested. Scarlett didn't think that was the case. There was a pop and a house elf appeared suddenly, causing Ginny to groan. "What, Kreatcher?"

"Master ordered Kreatcher to draw the girl a bath."

"Master?" Scarlett asked in surprise. "Harry?"

"Kreatcher takes no orders from Master Potter," Kreatcher spat. "Kreatcher was given orders by the other Master. Missy's Master."

Ginny paled. "You-Know-Who?"

Kreatcher growled. "No, Missy's father."

"Oh, well... thank you, Kreatcher. That was very nice of you." Scarlett gave him a warm smile. "Is there anything you needed?"

"Kreatcher was answering Miss's question before the bath grew cold. Kreatcher also put wards on the door so that Miss will not be disturbed." Oh, that was incredibly kind of him.

"Thank you," Scarlett said quietly. "If anyone needs me, you can let me know, Kreatcher. I assume you'll probably hear first."

He stared at her. "Kreatcher does not take orders from you, but Kreatcher will inform you."

"Thank you," she said quietly. She glanced toward Ginny, who rolled her eyes.

The bath was probably the most relaxing bath she had ever taken. Her fingers leafed through the pages at rapid speed and she consumed the fairy tales, finding the tale of Cinderella her favorite. It reminded her of herself. Only, she hoped this life wouldn't disappear at some stroke of midnight. She hoped that she would be able to live for a very long time in her perfect ending. For the perfect ending to be as magical as it was in the beginning.

She was from nothing, essentially. Just rags. And now, she had what she always wanted, with a few extra things that she could do without.

She was so engrossed in the stories, that she didn't emerge from the bathroom until well into dinner, and she only knew she was late because of the fact that the entire floor was empty.

She was hungry.

But Severus had been right about the bath. As she changed, she felt more relaxed than she had been in weeks. She wasn't scared of Greyback finding her in the hall, or smelling the fire on her skin. She felt normal. She felt like she did before she had been rescued from the Manor. Content, but craving something - and in this case, it was for the war to be over.

She only hoped it meant her nightmares would go away soon. Maybe baths would help them disappear. They were water, which was the only sure way to put out a fire.

When she came downstairs, she was surprised to see Bill and Fleur there, along with a few other Order members. "Oh! Scarlett!" Molly cried when she spotted her. "All well rested, then?"

"Yes, thank you," Scarlett said with a soft smile.

"Harry said you didn't sleep well. Would you like some draught?"

"No," Scarlett said immediately, more firmly than she meant to and she quickly corrected herself. "No, thanks. I just needed to rest, is all. I'm fine now."

"Well, we've saved some food for you," Molly insisted and Scarlett was directed to a seat between her own father and Remus.

Remus gave her a kind smile, and leaned towards her to whisper, "Stay away from the meatballs. I'm certain Molly misplaced the salt with sugar." Scarlett retracted her hand from the meatballs, the spoon already halfway in her grasp and she gave him a grateful look. "The rest is fine."

"Thank you, sir," Scarlett said under her breath.

"Did you sleep well? You look a bit tired, still."

"Oh, I just relaxed in the bath and read some Muggle fairtytales," Scarlett admitted, shrugging slightly. "I couldn't really sleep in the middle of the day."

"Oh?" Remus asked in surprise. "And do you like any fairytales in particular?"

Scarlett flushed slightly, giving another light shrug as she fiddled around with the broccoli on her plate. "Cinderella seems to be my favorite so far, sir." Severus jerked beside her at the revelation and she wondered if perhaps he had choked on something, but he resumed eating as if nothing had happened, ignoring Tonks who tried to pull him into a conversation. "But I haven't read through them all, yet."

"Cinderella's a good story. A bit grusome for the stepsisters, don't you think?"

"Yes, but... somehow I feel like they chose that for themselves. They could have been kind to Cinderella, but instead they chose to try and steal the last bit of freedom she could have gotten in their greed. And they didn't care who they hurt. They mutilated themselves to be happy... I don't understand how they could do that."

Remus seemed to nod. "Yeah, like I said, gruesome. Are you holding up well?"

Scarlett didn't know. She felt alright, relaxed. But when she went to sleep, she doubted she'd feel well. But she gave Remus a small smile, as if she was convincing him. "I feel alright. Thank you."

Ginny pulled her into a conversation, nearly giddy. "Did you open your third present, yet?" she asked. Scarlett flushed as her father glanced at her curiously.

"No," Scarlett admitted. "I didn't really think much about it until you brought it up."

Ginny gave an exasperated sigh. "Scarlett. Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to actually get these? Let alone open them?" Scarlett wasn't sure she wanted to know. "Merlin, I even had to go undercover and get information out of Hermione for them."

It drew Hermione's interest into the conversation. "What?"

"Nothing," Ginny said innocently. "I was just the harmless middleman on a quest for information to return to my employer." Scarlett was incredibly suspicious. Cormac obviously asked Ginny to ask Hermione questions, questions that Cormac couldn't have asked her himself, due to their shared animosity. So that meant that her gifts had something to do with something her and Hermione shared.

Ginny seemed to realize that Scarlett was trying to figure something out, because she gave Scarlett a smug grin. "After dinner?"

"Fine," Scarlett sighed quietly. She could feel Severus glancing at her out of the corner of his eye and when the question came, she wasn't too surprised.

"Presents?"

"The second half of my Chrstmas present from Cormac was a box of sixteen bags of milk duds," Scarlett explained quietly. "And he put a small gift inside of each, magicked so they fit. The rules are I open one a day until break's end." Severus seemed slightly surprised by Cormac's gift.

"And do I want to know the first half?"

Scarlett winced slightly, wondering what exactly he was thinking of. "This gorgeous necklace, but in the duel outside of the Burrow... it broke and the spells don't work on it anymore. Harry and Ron were going to ask Bill, but I doubt it can be fixed." She chewed slowly on her meal. Severus's eyes still stared at her out of the corner of her eyes.

"Spells?"

"It could move, sir... like a portrait. And it was a portkey."

"Portkey?" he finally brought his full gaze to her, facing her almost.

"It would take me to his home, if I was ever in trouble." She gave a sheepish smile. "His wards are as strong as Hogwarts. If Hogwarts is safe, his home is safe. And if something were to happen to me, I could get there in time. His mother's a healer and... It's probably the best place if I'm compromised."

Severus gave a short nod. "I agree." But he asked nothing more, and he said nothing more.

Following dinner, Scarlett was dragged back upstairs by Ginny, and Ginny enthusiastically picked up the box, digging into it before producing the next bag. "Here you are," Ginny said brightly. "Go on."

"Why are you so excited?"

"Because I am! He's so amazing! He's so sweet!" Scarlett thought he was as well. She found the wrapped object, and it unshrunk as it was pulled out of the package. Highly advanced transfiguration magic. Seventh year, definitely. She tore the brightly colored paper off gently, and another large book was presented to her.

"Jane Eyre," Scarlett murmured. The cover was red leather, and it looked extremely old. "It's beautiful," Scarlett admitted. And she had a feeling that Muggle books were in almost all of them, and they had been recommended by Hermione unknowingly. The keys were still a puzzle to her, but she would figure them out soon.

The next few days followed the same pattern, and as Scarlett's sleep pattern returned to normal, she found that her nightmares did not.

The stress from Tyler had only been amplified by her run-in with Greyback and Bellatrix. It had been her first taste of battle, of the war. Her first taste of nearly dying. It had terrified her. She had thought that with all of her training, she would have been prepared for the adrenaline rush and the fear.

She could see Greyback in her dreams - and if he wasn't protecting her from the Dark Lord, he was attacking Severus, Tyler, Cormac, or Harry. And if it wasn't Greyback attacking, it was the Dark Lord. If it weren't for the silencing charm, she was sure she would have woken her roommates. So with herself waking up long before dawn, she read. She found the Muggle novels fascinating.

Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, a complete volume of Shakespeare's works, and Anna Karenina were devoured in the week that followed. And her list piled up as the books became more complex. She just didn't have enough time to read the fascinating tales of heroism, love and heartache.

And when she finished the book she had been reading, she knew she had to finish her Healer reading. The History of Healing. Madame Pomfrey had said it was rather dull, but she found it to be just as fascinating as the Muggle stories. The house-elf magic was vastly different from witch and wizard magic. And the very core of magic itself varied as different methods were used.

When she began her book on maternal healer magic, she learned all about the magic a mother unknowingly gave to her child while it was still in the womb - she essentially shared her magical core until the child was able to build up the power of its own. And only very rarely did a child reject it's mother's magic, leading to the inability to stimulate its own core. It resulted in Squibs.

And the magic she stumbled upon next was completely unexpected to her. Trace magic, linked to the child's core and it's mothers. When a child was born, it effectively split the connection between the mother's magic and the childs. And it was when the child was born that the Trace could be suppressed - by suppressing the child's own magic.

Like what had happened to Scarlett when she was born.

"Healer magic," she murmured. She slammed the book shut and was running down the stairs in less than a minute. Her feet hammered and she was sure she'd wake the portrait. But she needed to catch Severus. "Sir!" He was just reaching the door.

He jerked back at her voice, his robes swirling as he turned, and Scarlett came to a stop as she managed to get a few feet from him, her breathing uneven. "What is it?"

"I figured it out," Scarlett breathed. "The Trace. I figured it out!"

"I don't follow."

"I was born without the Trace," Scarlett stressed. "Tyler was born without the Trace."

"Correct," Severus said slowly, his eyes narrowing. "And?"

Scarlett flipped through the book in her hands until she reached the appropriate pages. She shoved it towards him and he stared at her for a moment before snatching it from her. She waited until she was sure he had read the passage. "Lily trained as a Healer. Narcissa trained as a Healer. They knew... they knew that the only way to guarantee I'd be safe, or Tyler would be safe, would be to-"

"Remove the Trace," Severus finished with her, his voice a murmur as he kept reading.

"It's irreversible, and it's tedious, but if done right, no one can find the child. No one found me. No Hogwarts letter, no records. It even changed my birth name. That's why Tyler isn't Zabini on the records. He's a Prince." She felt a smile creep up on her face. "The Dark Lord can't find him. There's no way. Not unless someone spills the secret." She felt like dancing, it was such good news. "Narcissa performed it, she was with me. She said the spell, she knew she had to get rid of the Trace - she knew it was removed from me. She probably recognized the spell."

Severus seemed astonished. "The spell is on record, though. Those that are able to perform it go on record. There's been no record since the age of Grindelwald."

"Narcissa is very influential," Scarlett admitted. "Maybe the Malfoys paid for the records to be erased. Both mine and Tylers." Severus passed the book back to her, silent. "He'll never find him. He can't. It's impossible."

"Not impossible. He can still manage to break the wards, if he gets a hint of the location," Severus said seriously. Scarlett felt the bubble with her elation begin to deflate, sinking down to the floor. She clutched the book tightly, standing before him. "Fidelis isn't impregnible. I thought you knew that."

"I do," she said in a mumble. She swallowed. "I... I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to interrupt your travels."

He stood there a moment, before his posture shifted. "This is good news, Scarlett," he admitted after a moment of silence. "You're right. It's a miraculous advantage."

She lifted her gaze. "The, um... the spell... it will have to be renewed at eleven. If the war lasts that long..." She didn't want to think of it lasting another eight years. "It's got to be renewed."

"We'll deal with it when the time comes."

"That's why my records started to be accurate again. By the time Narcissa really recognized it, I was past eleven." Scarlett clutched the book tightly to her chest. "My Trace was coming back. But it's why I didn't get a Hogwarts letter, or any recognition of my magic than what a Squib would have. The spell suppresses magic."

"And by the time your magical core was at the stage it takes to receive a Hogwarts letter, you were most likely twelve or thirteen," Severus drew out. "Yes, if the war does last that long, the Trace will need to be repeated." His eyes didn't waver from her. "If repeated, he will not have magic until the age of seventeen, and even then the chances of his core replenishing are very slim. By performing the spell twice, you could be stripping him of magic forever."

Oh. She hadn't read that far. She had been far too excited.

"Would you be willing to risk that you'd be taking his magic from him?" Severus continued.

"No," Scarlett admitted quietly. "No, because... Magic can keep him safe. If he were to be stripped of his magic... that's completely unethical."

She couldn't imagine never having magic. Her entire life, she thought she could only do a little bit of magic - never this much. And if she were to take that away from her son? It would be no different than the Dark Lord's plan for taking magic away from Muggles.

Oh, Merlin. If the Dark Lord ever learned of this... To steal the magic of Muggleborns and Order members. And starting when the magic was the most vulnerable - a child. A whole generation built on blood purity, if he won. If he ever learned of this.

Severus seemed to understand where this was going. "Never, ever tell anyone what you've found. Healer magic is complex, closely guarded. And the Dark Lord takes no interest in it now. But should he-"

"It will ruin the world."

"Precisely," Severus stated. "And that is why you need to keep this hidden."

She nodded. "Absolutely, sir."

He turned towards the door, but paused before he opened it. "Potter will be obliviated of anything he overheard about Tyler, you, and myself," he stated quietly. She nearly strained to hear him. "It will keep Tyler safe. That way the Dark Lord doesn't learn of your involvement in hiding Tyler."

"What about your mother?" Scarlett asked. "Doesn't Eileen pose a threat? She knows about the safe house."

"My mother is a tough woman. She would rather die than tell anyone about Tyler's location," Severus stated simply. "But it is wise to limit contact. I rarely visit her, and it will be best if you follow that pattern. So, you won't be seeing her until the summer."

"If that's best," Scarlett admitted.

"It is." Severus jerked open the front door. "I will be informing the Dark Lord tomorrow about the false location of Tyler." Scarlett felt her throat close up. "He will begin the search immediately."

"But they won't be there, and there's no way the Dark Lord can connect them," Scarlett insisted.

"We can hope he takes the information to be true."

"And if he doesn't?"

Severus didn't look back at her, but she spotted the tensing of his shoulders. "Then this will be the last you see me. And you will not answer his call again, should I die tomorrow."


	48. Regretful Experiences

She opened a volume of Edgar Allan Poe on January first, and found that she couldn't bring herself to read it. She was worried, pacing back and forth in the dining room, waiting for Severus to return. The potions results, which would put in motion the deceitful hand they were dealing to the Dark Lord.

If the Dark Lord decided to pursue the location immediately, Severus would be killed for false information. If they waited, Severus would be suspected of leaking said information to the Order, and that would be why Tyler wasn't there. Either way, Severus was to blame. And it would mean Severus's punishment. Only, the first would be death. And the second would be a lot of pain. Pain she didn't want to see.

A crash in the hall made her heart leap in her throat and she set the Poe book onto the table before moving towards the door. But the stumbling was caused by someone in heels. She could hear the slight click - and not high heels, but a small wedge. Severus definitely didn't wear wedges.

She resumed pacing, the book forgotten.

"Wotcher, Ginny?" Scarlett glanced towards the door, spotting the bubblegum haired woman. Tonks. "Or Scarlett," the woman grinned. "What's got your skin all white?"

"I'm just nervous," Scarlett admitted. "The potion for Tyler finished today." And while she wasn't pacing, she wanted to. Tonks looked confused. "Severus is telling the Dark Lord of the location of Tyler."

"But... that's not-"

Scarlett gave a short nod and her feet found their way across the room, and back, before repeating. "If Severus doesn't return, he's been killed. And I'll be hunted for aiding him."

"Well, that's a bit bleak for the start of the new year!" Tonks insisted. "Come on, let's have ourselves a nice cup of tea, and you can relax while waiting. I guarantee he won't be back this morning." Tonks' hair turned a vibrant, electric green and she tripped over the nearest dining room chair, almost sprawling onto the ground before she caught herself on another chair. It, too, fell.

Scarlett giggled slightly. "Are you alright?"

"Mum says it's a curse," Tonks winked. "Right, less accidents can happen in the kitchen."

"For some reason, I feel like that's not true," Scarlett admitted, but followed her none-the-less. True to Scarlett's guess, Tonks managed to burn her hand, spill hot water onto her lap, and trip over the stool in the kitchen. Once the tea was presented to Scarlett, Tonks sat down opposite of her.

"You know, Snape used to terrify me in school. But now that I think about it, I'm really greatful." Scarlett looked at her, confused. "It was so useful at the Auror Academy. He really toughens your skin."

"He's pretty frightening in class," Scarlett agreed. "I couldn't imagine being an eleven year old and Potions being my first class.”

“Oh, downright scary. Hufflepuffs always get the short end of the stick in that. Every year, we got Potions first for my class. Brutal. Though, I think he did it on purpose, because he knew it gave Nearington a panic attack by third hour.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Hilarious as heck, though.” Scarlett allowed a small smile to leak out in amusement. “Poor girl. I was the kid, though, that always had to make sure that I went to be the bathroom before class, because otherwise I’d pee my pants a little in fear.” Scarlett snorted unexpectedly.

“It couldn’t have been that terrifying-“

“Oh, absolutely! His bottle fame, brew glory speech? A real fear mongerer. Even put a stopper on death?”

“Does he really say that?”

“Every single year,” Tonks stated simply. Scarlett giggle slightly. “You don’t happen to give extremely morbid speeches, do you?”

“Not that I’m aware,” Scarlett admitted. 

“Good. Neither does Remus.”

"Forgive me for asking, but I've noticed you and Professor Lupin... hanging around together," Scarlett said quietly. "Are you two... together?"

Tonks giggled. "After months and months of flirting with him and convincing him that he wasn't bad for me, yes." Scarlett smiled into her tea. "He's stubborn, but I'm even more stubborn, so it took a bit of convincing."

"Why would he think he was bad for you?"

"Well, he's a werewolf, of course. But I don't care about that." Scarlett knew he was a werewolf, it was how he had known about Greyback. "He does, though, so, he's really reluctant to get near someone."

"He looks very happy with you," Scarlett admitted to the woman.

"We're getting married in the summer," Tonks admitted with a grin. But her grin faltered, as she went on. "With the war and everything. It's not guaranteed we'll make it very far."

Scarlett wondered how many couples were terrified that they wouldn't make it. Scarlett knew that her and Cormac were pretty much guaranteed not to last in the war. She was to be killed, especially if the Dark Lord won. And Cormac ... she didn't even know what fate he would have - but he had a good standing with his father's position. Perhaps he would last. And Tyler... Scarlett had no idea. She didn't want to know what would happen to him. She would start to panic.

"I know what you mean," Scarlett said quietly. "It's terrifying."

"But, with being clumsy, Remus almost insisted that our relationship was necessary so that he could stop me from falling onto a pack of knives." Scarlett giggled, glad Tonks had lightened the mood. "My mother says I have two left. I think she's just covering up the fact that she and dad dropped me on my head a few times."

Scarlett gave Tonks a bright smile. "That certainly can be the cause of tripping over everything."

"Life was hell at the Auror Academy." Scarlett bet that was so. "Mad-Eye himself basically guided every single step I took. Felt bad for me, I suppose."

"I don't think Mad-Eye feels bad for anyone," Scarlett giggled. "And I don't think he likes nonsense. I know he really doesn't like me."

"Well, you're quite funny, at any rate," Tonks laughed. "Merlin, you've got a mouth on you if you're offended." Scarlett flushed deeply. "It's good. It's good to see you're becoming someone. Not letting what happened to you define you."

"I don't think it should," Scarlett shrugged lightly. "It happened, and I just want to move on from it. Which is difficult, sure, but ... I have a better life now." Scarlett gave Tonks a small smile. "That's all I care about. The Malfoys have done a lot for me, and ... I just want the war over. I just want to enjoy myself before I die in the war or something." Scarlett sipped from her tea. "And I find time to. And mouthing off... that wasn't something I expected to happen, but ... I don't regret it."

"And you shouldn't. He was being unfair to you. You've done a lot for us," Tonks admitted. "And for others. My mum used to be a Healer, long time ago... how are your courses?"

"Fantastic," Scarlett admitted. "I'm doing a lot of history reading at the moment, which is a tad bit boring, but those classes are amazing."

"I know you started late, but I thought I heard Dumbledore say that you were finishing your third year courses?"

"Yes," Scarlett said with a light flush. "I start fourth at the beginning of term. And Madam Pomfrey's offered me an internship next year when I finish the course. It would just be on the weekends, but... I'm looking forward to that."

"And you have an apprenticeship with Vector this year as well."

Scarlett giggled. "Yes, I'm overloading myself. Cormac's already warned me that I'm going to crash one of these days."

"And how is Cormac?" Tonks asked curiously.

"He's ... great," Scarlett admitted quietly. Thinking of Cormac often reminded her of Greyback, and all she needed to tell Cormac of what had happened over break. There was no way he would want to be with her afterwards. The first time with Greyback had been different - it was entirely something she couldn't get out of. This... she had willingly put herself in that situation.

"Remus and I don't keep secrets, and I won't tell anyone what happened," Tonks said after a minute. Scarlett's head snapped up, and her eyes widened slightly. "Not unless you want me to. If Cormac judges you for what Greyback did to you... then you shouldn't be with Cormac. I'm just saying that as a concerned friend."

Scarlett nodded, glancing down to her tea. "I know, but I'm more concerned with what he'll think. He knows Greyback and I have run-ins, I can't keep that from him. But what happened last week was different. I could have prevented it."

"I don't think you could have," Tonks said quietly. "You wouldn't be Scarlett, if you didn't run out there after Harry. I was expecting that to happen. And I know you were trying to lead the Death Eaters away from him." Scarlett frowned slightly, but nodded. "You had no idea Greyback was out there. You couldn't have prevented that."

Scarlett swallowed. "I enjoyed it." Tonks frowned slightly, confused. Scarlett clarified, "The fight. It showed me what I needed to work on. Skills and stuff to duel with. I'm not very good at fighting. I've never really fought before. That was honestly the first time. And... it was a bit more nerve wracking than I thought it'd be."

"It always is the first fight," Tonks said quietly. "Sort of an adrenaline rush, really. You get loads better with time. You learn to deal with it better, focus on things more. My first mission for the Aurors was a disaster, but my next mission was so fantastic."

Scarlett nodded. "I just hope I'll not botch it up like this time."

"You won't," Tonks promised. "You've got more promise than most, I'll tell you that. Even if what you did was incredibly stupid.”

Yeah, Scarlett seemed to get that. It was stupid. And the fact that everyone seemed to think so made her wonder if perhaps there was some other way she could have gone about making sure Harry was okay without compromising her position in the Order. Scarlett wasn’t sure. But she felt like maybe there could have been something. 

The sound of something upstairs falling made Scarlett jump in surprise, and Tonks rolled her eyes. “The twins. I’ve got to check in with Molly anyway. Why don’t you go and make sure no one broke anything.” Scarlett nodded, standing. “And Scarlett?” Scarlett lifted her head, giving a small smile. “Try to eat something, please?”

“Thank you, Tonks, for this talk… I didn’t realize how much I really needed it.” And Scarlett did. Already she felt like she had shed a few pounds just in the weight on her shoulders. It felt nice to confide in someone that she knew could learn the secrets that she was keeping hidden. Someone that was able to speak back to her. Not an inanimate book that she wrote in and would receive a response from hours or so later.

Whatever she had heard upstairs had been cleaned up, as the room above the dining room was empty. And so, Scarlett simply settled on her bed for the next few hours, trying, and failing, to read in order to distract herself. Not pacing downstairs where she would get in someone’s way. Instead she shifted every few minutes to try and get comfortable. Which was even more futile than trying to read. When Molly called everyone to lunch, it was almost a relief that she could finally do something that could prove to be distracting.

Yet, she couldn't eat. She pushed around the food, and stared at nothing during lunch. She hadn't heard anything. Not even an owl or a patronus. No hint that everything was alright. And no one in the Order gave any indication that anything happened. She wished she knew. She wished she could contact Severus, ask how everything was going.

It wasn't until dinner, when she took a bite of her dessert, that a sound of apparation occurred and Scarlett stood suddenly, her heart leaping in her throat. She knew it was Severus. She quickly maneuvered herself around the table, and shoved open the door to see Severus looking a bit worse for wear as he limped forward.

"I'm alright," he stated when she approached him.

"Did he buy it?" she asked, her throat feeling like she had swallowed sand. Severus was obviously injured, but when she tried to approach him, he waved her off. But of course the Dark Lord bought it. Otherwise, Severus wouldn't be alive.

"He's looking into it. It won't be for a few days, which buys us wiggle room." She nodded immediately, relieved. "Leave me be-"

"Let me help," Scarlett said quietly. She frowned at the liquid that was making the black of his robes shine. Blood. "You're bleeding," Scarlett continued. "Please, let me help. This is my fault."

"It's bloody Lucius Malfoys fault, and before him Albus bloody Dumbledore," Severus muttered under his breath. "Leave me be, I'm fine."

“And you’re bleeding. No one has that under their definition of fine, except for you.” He huffed, but she charmed his outer cloak off and then pulled him into the vacant kitchen, reaching for a clean rag and turning on the sink. Forcing him to lean against the counter, she swallowed seeing that the bleeding was worse underneath the cloak. As he carefully unbuttoned his shirt, at her pointed look, she saw that the wound was actually worse than it looked on the outside. “What happened?”

“I lounged at the Manor and was startled enough that I fell onto the fire grate.”

“You are actually awful at sarcasm, sir. But if you are going to act like that, perhaps make it a tad more dramatic. Maybe one of the peacocks attacked you in your walk to the door.”

“I’ll have to work on it.” She didn’t respond, instead cleaning some blood from the wound so she could see it better. It looked like a divindo charm, or a blade that had slashed at him. Whatever it was, it sure didn’t look pleasant. “The Dark Lord was out for a few hours,” Severus spoke quietly, so as not to be overheard by anyone potentially eavesdropping. “I waited, spoke to Lucius, and when the Dark Lord returned, requested his presence. I apologize in my lateness.” 

“And?” Scarlett pressed as she began the mending charm. She knew he felt it because his breath sucked in slightly and he straightened. 

“And, the Dark Lord was not pleased that I didn’t seek him out earlier in the day. But he will be busy. I have already come up with an excuse as to how the Order discovered the location-“

“Excuses such as-?”

“Dumbledore has found new ways to spy on me, to ensure that my information is correct. I will inform the Dark Lord tomorrow that I have discovered it, and will have to inform the Headmaster immediately-“

“He’ll hurt you again-“

“A sacrifice that must be made, we all agree.” She didn’t quite agree on that front. She hated seeing him hurt. But once the wound was healed, Severus acted as though he had not been injured at all, instead buttoning his shirt up as if normal. “The Dark Lord will tell me I am getting careless, but he will also begin to notice that I am working on gaining Dumbledore’s trust.” Which was good, she supposed. “It will be then that he will learn that Tyler has slipped through his grasp once more, and be prepared to be punished for that as well, if it comes to that.”

“I understand,” Scarlett said. Yet, she couldn’t dwell on that. She just felt an overwhelming amount of relief. They were three steps ahead, it seemed. And the Dark Lord was treading a murky water with no shore in sight. If they were just able to drown him in this search, they could win this battle, and Tyler would be safe for good. “We just finished dinner. If… you’d like to join us.”

“No, I just came to report back to you and then I’d be on my way.” 

“Madam Pomfrey says that with someone with injuries, they shouldn’t apparate themselves for a good half hour after it’s healed.”

“A risk I’m willing to take,” he muttered. Buttoning up his shirt, he swiftly grabbed his outer cloak and threw it on. “Goodnight, Scarlett.”

“Goodnight, sir. Do be more careful.” A twitch of his lips was his answering response. And then he was leaving the room, making sure he was as silent as a snake, abandoning Scarlett in the kitchen. Safe. 

It wasn’t until the next morning that Harry was noticeably obliviated of knowing things concerning Tyler. The way he questioned certain things that Scarlett could have heard at the Order, beginning with the condemning phrase, “Hey, Scarlett, you attend Order meetings-“ told her that he wasn’t too aware of other things that had been told to him in the past. And his attitude, while worried about her, wasn’t anything beyond concern over whether she was getting enough sleep. 

He knew nothing of her involvement in the Dark Arts, either. It was a comfort, yet even less of an outlet for her to confide in with everything that happened. Harry knew the most besides Cormac and Blaise. Harry knew when she was coming back from something particularly gruesome. And now… well, it was more to hide from them. More to keep to herself. 

More to write about, if need be. It was a sacrifice that needed to be made.


	49. Stony Advice

Remus and Tonks became a protective shield from Mad-Eye's probing glare. In the Order meeting the day before they were to go to Hogwarts, Mad-Eye once more made a comment as to whether or not she should be there. And Tonks stated that there was no place else better for her to be.

"How often do you get called to meetings during the school year?"

"Every Saturday night," Scarlett answered swiftly. "Usually after dinner, around curfew."

"Did you know of the attack on the Burrow?"

"Of course not," Scarlett returned immediately, and the tone was one she hoped wasn't showing in her voice. Offense. It wasn't that she was necessarily offended, she was just surprised that he would accuse her of such a thing.

"She would have told us," Tonks returned strongly.

"As you'll recall, Snape did inform us that there would be an attack Christmas Day. He didn't have a location. That was all the warning we could really have."

"I don't think she's as ignorant as you make her out to be," Mad-Eye returned. His hands hit the table and she was still, hiding her fright, as Mad-Eye leaned over the table, towering over her. "Killed anyone yet, girl?"

Scarlett stared at him, before she gave a small shake of the head. "Inadvertently. No one by my wand or hand. Rita Skeeter however-"

"Was a leech to be dealt with anyway," Mad-Eye agreed reluctantly. "Tortured yet?"

"I haven't hurt anyone, no."

"No, girl, have you been tortured?"

"After thirteen years of it, sir, with all due respect, I don't really consider it torture anymore. He disciplines us to keep us in line. And he takes pleasure in it. No matter what he does, I will always live through it. He finds any information on Harry useful."

"And you give it to him?'

Scarlett stared at Mad-Eye before glancing towards Severus. "We work around it."

"Alastor, what I think is more pressing than Miss Prince's integrity is the attempt made on my life." Attempt? It was near successful. "And how we will act to circumnavigate it. Obviously there is someone that is hoping to see me succumb to my old age."

"We're all quite aware of that, Albus," Mad-Eye snapped. "And until we have a culprit there's no way we can suspect any ways they'll get to you next. First that blasted necklace, then what? They won't try a necklace twice."

Scarlett stayed silent, her fingers twitching as she listened to him. She wanted nothing more than to tell him that it was Draco that was doing this, yet she wanted nothing more than to protect Draco as well. Draco had no desire to kill anyone, least of all the Headmaster - his one chance at redemption. And Draco had no desire to even think of another method to kill the Headmaster, unless prompted by the Dark Lord or the maniac herself, Bellatrix. If Scarlett was being honest with herself, she wasn't sure who was worse.

"Do you have any ideas of who could be wanting to kill the Headmaster?" Scarlett spoke before she could stop herself. She didn't even notice that Mad-Eye was still talking, but he stopped immediately upon hearing the question. "That would surely narrow down their methods, and their predictability, no? For instance, if it was a Charms expert, they would likely be using something like the necklace, no? A charmed object created to do the execution. Yet, if they're a transfiguration expert, then they could transfigure anything into an object, that could be laced with poison. Severus said that the necklace was cursed, so perhaps we're looking at a Curse Breaker or a Charms expert, maybe even a Defense Against the Dark Arts expert. Objects like that are not on the streets or in one's possession, are they? They are most likely created."

"And if this perpetrator has the Dark Lord to employ someone, girl?" Mad-Eye pressed, in almost a growl.

Scarlett swallowed. "Well, in that case, it's good we have experts on our end, as well. Every teacher at Hogwarts is an expert in their field. It is a qualification for teaching or working there. Be it Magical Creatures or Divination." Mad-Eye snorted. "So, what has the Aurory decided this person is like? Maybe personality traits? Something that could narrow down the long list of people that want the Headmaster's position. What if it isn't the Dark Lord at all, but simply someone using the turmoil in the war as a disguise to throw the Order off of his or her scent? It's all very plausible." Mad-Eye blinked, as if he hadn't considered that, and a few more Order members shifted. "Just as it's likely it could be someone in the Dark Lord's employ. So, Headmaster, are there any people out of the Dark Lord's grasp that you know of that could want you dead?"

Albus's eyes twinkled, as if he was seeing Scarlett for the first time. He spoke carefully. "No names come to mind off the top of my head, my dear, but give me a moment." Scarlett nodded, and shot a small, almost smug look towards Mad-Eye. He glared back at her.

"There is Karkaroff's successor, who blames you for Karkaroff's death," Remus stated after there was a moment of silence. "I believe that this is a very plausible scenario. Many people are using the war as a means to gain what they can. Just look at Fred and George. People are flocking to their shop in droves looking for a good laugh."

"Why thank you, good sir. Have you heard of our family friends discount?" they spoke at once.

"Quite the entertaining discount, it is. We'll give you free products whenever you'd like-" Fred continued.

"And another whenever you wouldn't like," George finished with a wink.

"Boys, now isn't the time," Molly snapped.

To their credit, they didn't look the least bit chastised. Albus was nodding, however, to what Remus spoke. "Yes. That is right. I think we should look at all possible angles of this. Narrow down the list."

"In the mean time, I will deploy the reserves to the castle," Mad-Eye growled. "And have them patrol for any suspicious activity." He jabbed a finger in Scarlett's direction. "If she so much as cheats on a test, I will hear about it."

"She's trying to find out who did this just as much as the rest of us."

"Taking too much of an interest, if you ask me," Mad-Eye returned.

"Then you'll recall that she's also working much harder in this war than a retired, crippled Auror that no one favors as their personal body guard detail," Severus drawled dryly. "Afterall, you were bested by a weak, escaped convict by the name of Barty Crouch Jr."

Mad-Eye shot an equally as deadly glare to her father. "And you'll recall that you kiss the Dark Lord where the sun hasn't shone in a good eighty years."

Scarlett clenched her jaw to keep from speaking as Tonks gripped her hand tightly under the table. "I have yet to live in a box for a year, but once you finally succeed in getting me my own in Azkaban, I'll be able to sympathize," Severus returned.

"I believe it's time we cut this meeting short," Albus stated, looking between the two men, but his eyes sparkling. "It's far past my bedtime, for someone as old as I, I should take it more seriously. Goodnight all of you. And I hope this war will end soon so we can all get back to our lives."

As the room began to clear out, Tonks released Scarlett's hand. "I know it's hard, but sometimes not getting involved with a spat with Mad-Eye is best. Especially if someone gets their way with the Headmaster."

"He's insulting Severus in front of everyone."

"Your dad can hold his own," Tonks smirked. "That wasn't even the worst thing that Snape could have said."

"Coming, Dora?" Tonks hopped up at Remus's voice.

She gave Scarlett an easy smile. "You've got to watch out for yourself. Things could change, if the war gets worse. And we've all got to be on our toes." She was talking about acting a part in order to stay in a good location. And somehow, Scarlett felt like it wasn't just advice on how to stay within the Order's good grace, but also with the Dark Lord's, should the Order fail. Scarlett swallowed, nodding.

"Thank you, Tonks."

"Take care, Scarlett. I'll probably see you when I'm put on patrol duty."

Scarlett just gave her a small smile, before watching her head out with the werewolf. And then there was Severus, still seated at the table, in a discussion with Albus. As Scarlett rose, to head to bed, Mad-Eye blocked her way of the door.

"I don't know who you think you are, but I don't believe your act for one second." Scarlett felt herself frown. Her act? She wasn't acting like anyone. "I know you're up to something."

"You actually sound like Harry," Scarlett admitted. "He's pretty paranoid too, though I don't blame him. He's had a psychopath trying to murder him when he was a baby."

"You've lived with the Dark Lord's influence for far too long."

She stared at Mad-Eye. "With all due respect, sir," she began. "I really don't care what you think of me. I know who I am, who I work for, and who I care to win. Who I want to protect, and how I want this war to end. And all of it relies on the Order coming out on top. If I wanted the Order to fall, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't go to meetings. I wouldn't work day and night on planning for when the Dark Lord does find Tyler. And I certainly wouldn't waste my time arguing with you on who I am." He pursed his lips. "I have no Master. I have no family to serve. I have nothing holding me down like I was before. And I wish you would believe me, but I know it'll take a lot more than words to gain your trust. They don't call you the best Auror of your days for nothing, sir. And they don't call me the secret weapon for anything, either. I know how much damage I can do us in this war, and how much damage I can do them. Everything is riding on my loyalty. And I would never betray that trust."

Mad-Eye stared at her, as if his magical eye would detect any lies, but she pushed past him, not bothering to say goodnight to her father. She would see him at the castle tomorrow evening.

When she reached her room, the room was jammed packed with not only Hermione and Ginny, but also Harry and Ron. She glanced between them all suspiciously as she pulled her sweater off, tossing it onto her trunk. They were all watching her.

"If you would like to speak in private," Scarlett began carefully, "I can move to the living room to read."

"Nevermind that," Ron insisted. "What was the Order meeting about?" Oh. She should have known they were looking for information on the meetings they weren't allowed to attend. Scarlett reached for her book at the foot of her bed - The Interview with a Vampire. It proved to be an interesting, yet entirely inaccurate take on vampires. "Well?" Ron pressed as she sat down.

"Nothing exciting, really," Scarlett admitted. "Mostly fighting with each other. Mad-Eye giving me the evil eye. The twins being inadvertently complimented on their store. And protection detail for Hogwarts. That was it." She purposefully left out the part where Mad-Eye didn't trust her. It would be more detrimental to the conversation than anything.

"Protection detail?"

"They are putting Aurors on patrol of the castle and area with the start of new term. Mr. Moody believes that someone is attempting to take the life of the Headmaster, and so the reserves are being pulled. They don't even know how it is or how they're going to be attacking." Scarlett rolled her eyes. "So really, we just have Aurors to make sure no one is out past curfew. This really makes it difficult for me to get to the Room of Requirement in the morning for trainings, and my late night apprenticeship with Professor Vector, but I suppose that I'll be given a pass. I'll have to, with my …"

"Extra activities," Ginny put in helpfully. Scarlett gave her a wry smile. "But it's good that they're working on keeping the castle safer. Katie almost died."

Yes. Katie had almost died. Scarlett had seen the girl in the Infirmary, shaking and cold. She looked like death, if death was alive. "She'll recover," Scarlett said after a minute of silence. "She's improving already. But she's shown no memory of anything around getting the package. As far as Mad-Eye's concerned, she was plotting to kill the Headmaster, not anyone else."

"It was Malfoy," Harry insisted. "I know it was."

Scarlett glanced to him, and he flinched at her fierce look. "I know Draco. And I know that he has never, ever wanted to hurt anyone. If he did that to Katie, then he's not Draco." Harry looked abashed. "I swear to you, Katie nor Draco are the types of people to kill anyone. I've known Draco my whole life. And I trust him with my life."

But still, Harry didn't seem to believe her. "Fine. But I still know he's behind this. I don't know how he's doing it, but he is." She bit her tongue to keep from arguing. It was no use.

"I don't know what he's done to you, but you should really get to know him for who he is. Not who everyone portrays him as."

"Scarlett-"

"I really need to finish my reading, Harry," Scarlett said suddenly. "So, if you would like to talk, I'll go to the hall." And she did, despite him insisting that she could stay. And when she sat down on a small, dusty footstool, she closed her eyes.

Who was she working for? She had just attempted to divert the Order's attempts at finding the Headmaster's would-be assassin, in hopes of saving her father and Draco from being persecuted. She had lied to them, in order to protect those she hoped would be saved.

Merlin. What was she doing?

On January ninth, Scarlett woke in her bed to Ginny flying at her, bouncing up and down on the mattress, chanting, "Open the last bag! Open the last bag!"

Scarlett groaned and tossed her pillow at her fellow red-head. "Ginny, get off. You're going to step on me." But Ginny had other plans. She flopped down on top of Scarlett, and didn't relent.

"Let's go! We've got to leave soon, Mum's got breakfast ready, and you need to open your last present!"

Scarlett sighed, sitting up in bed, and Ginny fell off of it, landing on the floor with a thump. Scarlett's pillow went sailing back to her, and Scarlett put it at the head of the bed before she climbed over the footboard to open her trunk. The last bag of milk duds was a bit heavier than the rest. In fact, Scarlett would venture to say it was the heaviest yet. She dug around in it, Ginny practically vibrating next to Scarlett, and she found the shrunken package, brilliantly wrapped.

"Well? Go on!" Ginny pressed.

So impatient. Scarlett enlarged it, heaving when it turned into a small trunk that fit atop her bed. "Merlin! It's massive!"

"Well, go on!" Ginny pressed.

Scarlett tried to open it, and found that it was locked. She frowned, inspecting the keyhole, before Ginny gave an exasperated sigh, digging around in Scarlett's trunk before giving Scarlett the key. A key she had been gifted the first day. "You're hopeless, honestly," Ginny insisted.

"I'm confused," Scarlett admitted, turning the lock. "For all I know, this is full of stones."

"I sure hope not. Then he lied to me." But inside was most definitely not stones. As she opened the trunk lid, she could see the spines of various books. At least a dozen with titles of varying anatomy.

"Muggle healing books," Scarlett breathed. Pulling a few out, she flipped through them, her eyes not able to read fast enough as she found different names for Muggle medicines, biology, ancient healing arts for Muggles. Wives Tales. Merlin… And then modern healing practices for Muggles. Medicine. "These are… brilliant!" she whispered. Flipping around the biology book, she was astonished at the detailed drawings of the human anatomy, as well as what seemed like pictures of inside someone's throat or stomach. "Wow."

"He saved the best ones for last." Cormac sure did. And though her heart was pounding furiously in excitement, her stomach felt heavy. All of this, and he would surely be upset with the news that the necklace had been broken. And the news that Greyback had grabbed her. "Do you like them?"

"I love them," Scarlett admitted quietly. "They're massive." They had to have been at least six hundred pages each, fully illustrated and so detailed that Scarlett could now see what it actually looked like in her stomach or her heart. "These are … fantastic. I can't believe he'd … do this."

"He knew what you liked, he just needed to get it all sorted out, and then the presentation." Ginny shot Scarlett a grin. "He totally wins best boyfriend of the year award, don't worry. I'll happily give you the title instead of Dean and I."

Scarlett giggled. "Not that he doesn't completely deserve it, but I don't want to take that from Dean. He'd be put out."

Ginny shrugged, and then gave Scarlett a nudge. "You can read them on the train. But Mum will seriously ground me if I don't have you downstairs with your trunk packed in five minutes."

That got Scarlett moving.

Saying goodbye to Molly on the platform was tearful. Molly hugged Scarlett tightly, murmuring into Scarlett's hair, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to write. And if anything happens, no matter what, know you can tell me anything." It warmed Scarlett and when Molly pulled away, Scarlett gave a nod.

"I will. Thank you for Christmas break."

"Oh, nonsense, you're welcome whenever. You know that." Scarlett hoped so. But once her trunk was loaded, she boarded the train, looking for the only face she wanted to see. Both to thank and to confess to. She felt the train begin to roll away underneath her as she searched and it must have been high noon when a group of running first years ran into her, sending pumpkin juice all down her sweater. She groaned softly before disappearing into the nearby loo, doing her best to wash it out.

She had spent an hour so far searching for Cormac, mostly running into Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws in her quest. She had just started the Gryffindor-filled section when she had been detained. So she worked quickly, and grabbed a dry towel, dabbing at her sweater as she exited, staring down at it as she worked. She was nearing the first compartment when she suddenly heard her name.

It was Hermione's voice, speaking none too quietly. "Scarlett slept with Greyback over break." Scarlett froze immediately, glancing up sharply see that Hermione was standing in front of Cormac, a haughty look on her face. And Scarlett's heartbeat skyrocketed as she felt a small sweat break out. Glancing around quickly, she couldn't see anyone nearby that could be listening, but anyone in the compartments near them would be able to hear Hermione. "I don't think she's the girl any of us thought she was."

Oh no. She had wanted to tell Cormac, to explain to him. So that she could tell him that it wasn't that at all- but Cormac's face was barely visible. And she could see the tick of his jaw as he clenched it. Oh no. "You don't know anything that you're talking about, Granger," Cormac said evenly, as if he was forcing himself to be polite. At least he had some faith in her, right? He didn't think she had done it-

"Oh, I assure you, I do. Remus was talking to Molly about how he could smell him all over her, and I overheard her talking about it with Tonks. About how she enjoyed it." What? Scarlett… She had never said anything like that. She had never said she enjoyed it. But Cormac looked angry and Scarlett must have made a noise because they both turned around sharply, glancing at her - Cormac in alarm and Hermione with a neutral expression.

And then suddenly, Cormac was walking towards her. Only the closer he got, the more apparent he intended to walk past her. Away from the carriage.

"Cormac-" Her voice caught in her throat as she grabbed his elbow, making him halt. "Wait, I can-"

"I need to get away before I do something I'll regret," Cormac snapped at her sharply. Scarlett swallowed, recoiling her hand from his elbow.

"I can explain," Scarlett said quietly, and her eyes were filling with tears as he stared at her, his breath in almost puffs of anger. He turned and walked and Scarlett watched as he disappeared into the next carriage. Scarlett glanced towards Hermione, who didn't look pleased nor upset. She looked relatively neutral. Scarlett sucked in a breath before she started to cry. She couldn't cry here. Not in front of Hermione. She wouldn't give the girl the satisfaction. "You don't know anything." She shook her head and a sound left her that was close to a sob. "You misinterpreted what you heard-" Scarlett couldn't stay there. She had to get away. And she was running, down the hall to the opposite end of the carriage, crossing into the Slytherin cart. And then she was searching, glancing through the windows for only a second before moving on, trying to find someone familiar. Someone she trusted, at least a little.

She found Pansy, alone, reading from the Daily Prophet. Tapping lightly on the door, the dark haired girl looked up, ready to snap. When she saw Scarlett, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What do you want? Draco isn't here."

"I… I know. I wondered if perhaps I could sit with you?"

Scarlett twisted her hands nervously, and Pansy stared at her a moment. "Are you going to try and talk to me?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Then sit and be quiet." Scarlett thanked her quietly, shutting the compartment door, and sat down opposite of the dark haired girl. She was silent, watching the green grass around them pass by through the window.

Scarlett wasn't sure how long there was silence between them, Pansy occasionally switching pages in the paper, but finally the paper was folded and placed beside Pansy. "So, what did your idiot do?"

Scarlett glanced at her, surprised. "No, no, it's not…" Scarlett swallowed. "Hermione Granger happened."

Pansy's eyes lit up, as if they were talking about something truly interesting. "Oh? Do tell."

"You told me not to talk."

"I changed my mind once I found out it involved Granger. So? What did she do? Tear up your textbook? Lock you out of Saint Potter's carriage?"

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "You will likely think it silly. It's nothing."

"It obviously is if you're here with me, and not with your Gryffindors. When I first met you, you wouldn't even look me in the eye. And you still haven't." Scarlett hesitated, before glancing back to her and met the dark haired girl's eyes. "There. Now, since you're the Dark Lord's pawn in this whole school, what did the Granger girl do to make you so terrified? Botch up a mission?"

Right. This wasn't Blaise or Draco. This wasn't someone she could just spill all to. So Scarlett told partial truths. "She told Cormac, my assignment, that I had cheated on him with Harry, of all people." Scarlett chewed on her lip. "Which, of course, is not true. I have no interest in Harry, and nor does Harry in me. But Cormac … I think, Cormac believed her."

"Which would screw up your mission."

Scarlett gave a small nod. "Because not only do I have a mission to use Cormac to gather information about his father, but also to spy on Harry. And she has just effectively created a riff between the two that means that I can do neither job properly until this issue is resolved."

"And McLaggen believed her?" Scarlett gave a helpless nod. "Wow."

"I didn't even have time to try to say anything to dissuade the ridiculous accusation. He was already storming away and Hermione looked so smug about it, like she had won something - like she was proving something to me. And it just made me so incredibly angry."

Pansy stared at her, before smirking. "And of course, since this is your mission, the whole dorm can't know what is really going on between the Fiery Couple."

Scarlett blinked. "The Fiery Couple?"

"Some Hufflepuffs came up with it. I think it's attrocious. Anyway, that means that we can't know why suddenly everyone hates Granger. Or McLaggen. Or Potter. Merlin, you're killing us! This is gold!"

"Sorry," Scarlett muttered. "I don't know what to do to fix this."

"Well, obviously you find either McLaggen or Potter, and you do your best to explain that Granger's a bitch."

"But I don't think that-"

Pansy interrupted, giving Scarlett a hard look. "Once you say it, you'll feel loads better. Repeat after me. Granger's a bitch."

Scarlett hesitated. "Granger's a bitch."

Pansy wrinkled her pug nose. "With more conviction this time." Scarlett did so. "Good. Now, go out there, find your pathetic ass boyfriend that has to die for abs, or your pathetic savior, and convince them that you are innocent here, and Granger is trying to stir things up because she's jealous of how close you are to both of them."

Scarlett blinked. Pansy was actually incredibly spot on. "And that will work?"

"It better, or they never really trusted you in the first place, in which case you have a lot of work to do, and the Dark Lord will not be happy."

"I just don't understand why she hates me so much," Scarlett said quietly. "Why would she do that? I don't understand why."

"Because she's petty. And she's learned with the war to fight dirty, because no one will win fighting any other way." Pansy snorted, leaning back in her seat. "She's also probably learned not to trust new people. Look at our professors over the years. If they aren't trying to kill Saint Potter, they're trying to bring back the Dark Lord." Scarlett supposed that was a good point, too. "And you come from the Malfoys, known to support him, and are suddenly placed in Potter's year where things are getting tough. Suspicious to me, too."

Scarlett sighed, wiping at her face to make sure she looked more presentable, and she stood. "Thank you, Pansy. For everything. From being nice to me at the Manor, to now."

"We've all got to do our jobs. We won't like the consequences otherwise." Scarlett doubted that they would.

With Pansy's words of encouragement, which were strange in their own right, she bid her goodbyes before she headed back towards the Gryffindor carriages. She didn't come across Cormac, but she did find Harry. Opening the compartment door, her relief at having someone to explain the situation to quickly faded to apprehension as she spotted Hermione sitting across from him. Scarlett swallowed, staying in the doorway, her hand on the door handle.

Harry stood quickly as he noticed her. "Scarlett!" She paled, grimacing slightly.

"Hi."

"She's sorry-"

"If she's sorry she can tell me herself," Scarlett said simply. Harry frowned at that. Scarlett continued, hoping for some sort of distraction. Some sort of escape. "You haven't seen Ginny, have you?"

"She went to go find Cormac after Hermione told us where you went." Scarlett swallowed. Oh. Scarlett didn't dare look towards Hermione. "Where did you go?"

"I went to sit with Pansy." Scarlett bit her lip as Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Thanks. I think I'll go find Luna or something-"

"Er, Scarlett, she shouldn't have done that-"

"No, she really shouldn't have, because she has absolutely no idea what really happened, nor should she have eavesdropped on private conversations. Because what she heard wasn't true." Scarlett's tone was hard, and cold. And Harry blinked at it. "And she ruined my relationship with Cormac." Scarlett's eyes darted to Hermione, who was staring at her. "I still don't understand what I did to you. But I know what you've done to me." Scarlett swallowed. But she had to say the words she couldn't stop repeating in her head, because Hermione had to know how much she had hurt Scarlett. And Pansy was right. "Why would you do that? What could possibly make that okay?"

Hermione swallowed. "He deserved to know."

"And I was going to tell him, on the train," Scarlett returned. "I was going to explain everything. And... I don't keep anything from Cormac. I never have. If the Dark Lord asks me to sleep with someone at a meeting, I do it. And then I tell Cormac. If the Dark Lord asks me to spy, I do it. Anything, because that means I'm alive, and Tyler's safe. And if the Dark Lord ever finds Tyler, I know he'll be okay. Because if I disobey once, just once, he will kill Tyler, or hurt him." Hermione frowned. "I don't keep secrets from Cormac, Hermione. And to talk so openly about me and Greyback, do you understand what would happen to me? If people knew?" She took a deep breath, to steel herself and she stepped back, opening the compartment door. "You're a bitch, and I hate you."

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. And Scarlett found that she didn't regret the words. And she hated that she didn't. She wanted to, so badly. She wanted Hermione to like her, she wanted everyone to like her. But Hermione didn't seem to be wanting to try.

"Scarlett-" Harry tried.

Scarlett pulled away as he reached for her and sucked in a breath to stop the tears from coming, before she exited the carriage and headed down another. In the early compartments of Ravenclaw, Scarlett spotted a blonde girl standing by the door with her pink glasses resting atop her head. Scarlett gave a light knock, entering, but was immediately surprised to find that Cormac was sitting there amongst not only Luna, but Neville, Ron, Ginny, and Seamus.

"Scarlett!" Ginny cried. "We were just about to go look for you."

"I, er, was trying to find you." Scarlett swallowed slightly, shifting nervously. "But, er... I think I'm going to go back to Pansy-Sorry-"

"You've been crying," Neville observed quietly. Scarlett cleared her throat and moved to leave.

"Granger's a bitch. And I was really pissed off, but I didn't want to say something I'd regret to either of you," Cormac's voice spoke suddenly, halting her.

"It's alright," Scarlett admitted. "I should have told you before she had the chance."

"She shouldn't have done that," Ginny insisted. "I've half a mind to give her a piece of-"

"I've already talked to her," Scarlett said simply. She lifted her gaze and there was the same hardness that had been there before, but with a touch of exhaustion. "I'm not friends with Hermione, nor will we seem to ever be. I hate her, she's a bitch, it's over. Done. I'm going to the Slytherin carriage. I'm sure Pansy will want to talk about what she got for Christmas from Draco."

Ginny looked shocked. "Do you feel alright?"

"Fine," Scarlett said almost too quickly. "I'm just so done with everything. I'm done trying to be friends with her. So, I'm not going to bother. She's not worth my time."

"You're... acting weird." Ginny observed.

"Am I?" Scarlett was just trying to keep from crying again. To keep from cursing someone. She was just so angry, and upset. "I'll see you all at the feast."

"Did… Did Greyback really-" Seamus hesitated. "Bloody hell, Scarlett," he breathed when she didn't answer after the quiet pause. "Did he bite you?"

"No," Scarlett said quietly. "I'm fine. I just… maybe I need to be alone for a bit-"

"Scarlett, wait-" Cormac insisted. "Please, I'd like to let you explain what really happened-"

Scarlett felt tears fill her eyes and she closed her eyes as she turned towards the compartment door. "Does it matter? Granger told you what she thought happened. And that's what will be on your mind, no matter what I say." She glanced towards Cormac, meeting his eyes. She glanced away hastily as her eyes watered again. "I need to go-"

"Lettie-"

As she tried to slip out of the compartment, the door slammed shut with a flick of the wand, and Cormac caught the edge of her sweater, and she halted, but didn't turn. "Lettie," he tried quietly. "I know what she said wasn't true. I know that's not what happened."

"But how much of it?" Scarlett murmured. "How much is a lie?" She shook her head, and a few tears that she was desperately trying to hold in fell. "I'm sorry I was such an idiot."

"Please... just tell me your side. The truth about what happened. And maybe I'll give Granger a hex on the platform." She sucked in a breath, and it sounded wet, like she had been drowning. She wanted to laugh, but she just felt so... so betrayed. "I'm sorry I was a bit of an arse and made you think I believed her... I didn't."

"But-"

"I don't," Cormac insisted. He tugged her sleeve slightly so that she was forced to turn around. "I don't believe a word she says. I don't know what crawled up her arse and died, but it sure as hell is going to warrant a detention with your dad, don't you think?"

Scarlett snorted. "It's not an academic issue, and we aren't at Hogwarts. He can't do anything."

"No, perhaps not, but I know a few Ravenclaws that are pretty good at planting evidence." She gave a small smile, and certain she wasn't going to run away, he let go of her sleeve and wiped a few tears from her cheeks. "What really happened?"

"I…" Scarlett glanced to the others, who were trying to give them privacy, but were clearly listening. She trusted them with her life, she did. But sometimes the information was so sensative and the more than knew it… the worse it was. But there were the people that had helped her find Tyler. These were the people that had put their prejudices aside and had helped her find her son with the help of Slytherins. "It's a long story."

"We could get somewhere private," Cormac offered. She shook her head and he slung an arm around her shoulder, having her sit down beside him. It was a bit cramped in the compartment, but when Luna sat beside Ron and Neville, it seemed to become less claustrophobic. "So, tell me how big of an idiot I am."

"No... No, this is my fault. I was going to tell you as soon as I could find you, but I got distracted by a first year that spilled juice on my sweater."

"Why would Granger make up stuff about that?" Neville asked, confused.

"I... I don't think she trusts me. I know she doesn't, really. I mean, saying that she doesn't think I am who everyone says I am. I've literally showed every last one of you my memories. How can any of that be fake?" But she didn't intend for him to reply, because she continued, her anger and frustration showing. "I just... I'm so confused as to what made her react like that. Is she always like that? Has she always been and I just didn't know because of the fact I didn't grow up with her? Is she just jealous and she's hoping to throw me off, so she can catch up? I don't know. Merlin, I just want to know why."

"And you'll torture yourself until you get an answer," Cormac said good-naturedly. As an afterthought, Ginny put a silencing charm on the compartment, and Scarlett felt the lead in her stomach sink to the floor. She twisted her hands nervously. He sat across from her. "What happened? I've just heard the Burrow was attacked."

"Bellatrix lit the grass on fire," Scarlett admitted. "And Harry ran after her, because of... something with Sirius. And I ran after Harry, because he's an idiot and he'd get himself killed. But while Harry was running, I changed directions, to draw attention to me so the Order could get Harry into the Burrow." Cormac frowned. "I didn't know there was another Death Eater out there."

"Greyback." Ginny said quietly.

"I didn't enjoy it," Scarlett rushed out. "She didn't understand what I said. I was talking to Tonks about the fight. I enjoyed the dueling and stuff, learning what I needed to work on. That's what I meant. Greyback... I don't know how, but he still knew we hadn't…" She paused, clearing her throat as she glanced at the rest of them. "The Dark Lord …" She paused, glancing down at her hands. "I go to Death Eater meetings every Saturday, and update him on what Harry's been doing. Or what Cormac tells me. He's the one that has ordered Cormac and I to start dating. He wants me to use… well, to put it quite frankly, he wants me to use sex to get information out of Cormac about his father. And I … I had a run in with Greyback before, in October, and he knew that I still hadn't slept with Cormac, and he threatened to tell the Dark Lord, so… he has blackmail against me. But when he caught me in the cornfield, somehow he still didn't know that we had been together. And … that was it. It wasn't anything more, and-"

"You've been …" Ron looked pale. "Bloody hell!"

"Sometimes the Dark Lord wants me to use someone during a meeting," Scarlett admitted. "To get information out of them, to determine if they're being truthful. Sometimes he wants to use it as a means to torture me or my father." She shrugged. "To remind me of where I was, and where I can go back to if I fail."

Ginny was gripping the seat hard as she was sitting practically sideways to stare at Scarlett wide-eyed. "And… Hermione overheard Mum talk about how Greyback had a run in with you and she thought you liked it?"

Scarlett shrugged. "I guess. I didn't. I hate Greyback… But I have to trust Greyback, I have to put faith in the fact that he won't tell the Dark Lord anything - about where my loyalty really lies, because then Tyler is dead. Or my father is dead. And… I can't risk that. So I .. I do whatever Greyback wants, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. It doesn't mean that I like any of this. If I had my way, I would be living in some cottage by myself with no one knowing where I am at all. I don't want any of this. But I'm here. And I have to live with it, because I have no other choice."

"And Dumbledore knows?" Ron whispered. "He knows and he still makes you go there?"

"I have to," Scarlett said quietly. "If I don't go, then Severus won't be trusted."

"Where was your wand?" Cormac asked quietly. "Hasn't... Hasn't Snape been teaching you how to fight?"

Scarlett hesitated. "Greyback grabbed me before I even knew he was there. And tossed my wand. He's far too ... strong to even ... I couldn't have fought him off. And..." Scarlett swallowed. "It wasn't like she said. I promise it wasn't."

"I know it's not," Cormac admitted. "You're alright? You weren't hurt or bitten or anything?"

"No," Scarlett said quietly. "Remus and Molly checked me out, and I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't explain sooner, I should have done it first thing-"

"Granger's just a bitch, alright? It's not your fault." Scarlett swallowed. "Did you hex her good?" Seamus asked, a glint in his eyes.

"I called her a bitch and told her I hated her," Scarlett admitted. Their eyes widened in surprise. "Does that count?"

"Because it's you, and you've yet to say an ill word about anyone, yes. That definitely counts."

Scarlett gave a wry smile, but found it didn't reach her eyes. She dropped her gaze back to her lap. "This can't get out. You know about how they treat werewolves, and if people think I freely associated with them-"

"We understand," Luna said serenely. "Though you probably won't want to wear your hear up for a while. You have quite a nasty love bite there." Scarlett's hand rose to her neck quickly, in surprise. And she found that it was a little tender. Panic seized her and she felt along the bruise, but relaxed slightly when she realized what it was.

"Oh, no, that's from dueling practice. A stinging hex hit me there." Cormac seemed to untense beside her as well. Perhaps the love bite would have been a last straw.

"Oh, so it is," Luna murmured. "How strange."

"I can't believe you're being used like that by you-know-who… Why didn't you bloody say something?"

"There's nothing anyone can do," Scarlett admitted. She swallowed. "Harry can't know. It's dangerous for him to know things. With his dreams that he had last year… Dumbledore says that Harry knowing these things could be more harmful than good…" She hesitated. "He was obliviated over break of anything he knew about Tyler or my involvement. He just knows that I am forced to attend meetings and whatever the newspaper says about me. That's all. He doesn't know where Tyler is… or anything."

"You obliviated Harry?" Ginny gasped.

"No," Scarlett said with an eye roll. "Remus did, I think."

Cormac's voice was quiet as he spoke, as if he didn't want the others to overhear. "Are we okay?"

"If you can still look at me, I suppose so," Scarlett admitted. "I just... when she was talking, you looked like you were going to kill someone-"

"She was trying to say that you were a full fledged Death Eater, and that we couldn't trust you," Cormac stated simply. "Yeah, I was about ready to kill her. But I don't fancy life in Azkaban too much."

Scarlett giggled. "No, I wouldn't either."

"I know you have to be different around them," Cormac said quietly, but it was loud enough this time for the others to hear. "I know you have to act like them. It's how you'll survive it. And I know you go through hell there. And it's not in her place to even suggest that you're a traitor. Because you do so much to make sure the Order is on top. Even if it hurts you." Scarlett winced. "You got yourself hurt in order to give the Order more time to find Harry. And while I'm sure there was a better way to go about it, you guys won the fight, didn't you?"

Scarlett shrugged, her head resting on his shoulder. "I suppose."

"You're not a traitor, Scarlett. I think you're one of the bravest, strongest people I've met. And that includes bloody Harry."

Scarlett laughed quietly. "Thank you."

"I take it Granger doesn't know about the other time with Greyback?" Neville said carefully.

Scarlett swallowed. "No. Because she wouldn't understand. Harry... Obviously Harry knows, well he knew, but Hermione... she'd make assumptions, assume I'm twisting the truth and... that's why I can't tell Hermione anything. She only knows the basics. And... it's ... she doesn't understand, because she doesn't focus on the war. She focuses on school, so she treats any news about the war as if it's unwelcome, and maybe she's worried, and suppresses it? But ... This war fills me with so much anxiety and worry and dread and... all it takes is one slip. And then everything is ruined. Tyler, and my father, and Harry, you - especially all of you. You can be killed with me. And..."

Cormac kissed the top of her hair. "Nothing will happen, Lettie. We've got everything under control."

"But control can change so easily."

"This won't."

She hoped so. She really did, because she didn't know if she could handle things going to Merlin's underwear drawer anytime soon.


	50. Misinformation

News of the fall out between Hermione Granger and Scarlett Prince spread quickly. Obviously someone had witnessed the words that were exchanged between the two, and/or Pansy had spread the word of the fallout. Either way, people knew not to mention either girl to the other when in their presence. Scarlett specifically noticed it when they got to the feast, and she found her seat beside Cormac. Glancing up, she met a few Slytherin's eyes across the hall - Blaise, Pansy, and Draco. And a light smile touched her lips.

Pansy looked far too smug to be smirking that much just out of the blue. Perhaps she thought she was right. That the whole situation wouldn't blow out of Scarlett's control.

At least, she hoped it looked that way, for all their sakes.

Scarlett's gaze found Hermione as she walked in with Harry, and she could tell that the woman had been crying. It made her stomach clench with guilt. She shouldn't have been so harsh. But then she reminded herself that Hermione had just tried to ruin everything her and Severus had in place to keep the Dark Lord's favor. And then she didn't feel too guilty.

But if Cormac had believed Hermione, had refused to listen to sense? Then Scarlett knew that her meeting with the Dark Lord wouldn't be too pleasant.

When she looked towards Cormac, he was looking anywhere else but Granger. "What's wrong?"

"I might hex someone," he admitted. "So, don't want to find a target." She couldn't help but give a wry smile. The feast was finished with Julien telling her all about everything he got for Christmas, and then talking about his holiday in Switzerland.

After dinner, Dumbledore cleared his throat, gaining the hall's attention. "I would like to inform all students of a strict curfew that will be implemented. If students are found roaming around the halls past the hours of nine in the evening, save for an escort to their Astronomy courses, you will face a weeks detention. This is with your safety, and ours, in mind. The Ministry has decided that Aurors will, from now on, be patrolling the school." A few people around her murmured uneasily. "Prefect patrols will end right at nine o'clock. I expect this rule to be followed extremely closely."

Glancing towards Draco, he looked pale.

"Curfew," Dumbledore continued, "Will be lifted at five in the morning. There are no exceptions."

But Scarlett's training- She bit her lip and Cormac murmured to her. "Do you know what this is about?"

"Later." It was a Saturday. Scarlett would be called away tonight. "I need to go to my father's room before curfew," Scarlett spoke as they were dismissed. Cormac seemed to understand. "I'll be back to the Common Room shortly."

"Be careful," he requested. She gave him a light smile, in return, and exited, following where her father had disappeared to. She knew that the man could tell she was following, but he made no indication, instead walking confidently in front of her, and holding the door open to his classroom for her when she was close enough.

"What will I do for meetings?" Scarlett found herself asking as soon as the door closed. "Or trainings? Or my apprenticeship? My apprenticeship with Vector doesn't end at night until ten."

"As the Aurors have been instructed. They also believe that you have additional potions with me Saturday night. A Potions apprenticeship."

Scarlett seemed to consider that. "Okay… So what time should I come here?"

"A call is usually between eight and nine. Be here at seven thirty, to be safe." Scarlett nodded. "Aurors are aware that brewing can last well into the night, so you have free leave until midnight. Should it be later, we will figure something out."

Scarlett relaxed slightly. "Thank you, sir. Is this what you and Dumbledore were discussing after the meeting last night?"

"It caught my attention that there would be a curfew, and I made the right inquiries. Do not stray from these or the Aurors would be disinclined to believe you often." Scarlett nodded immediately. "Your morning trainings will need to be pushed back until five, then, for the mornings we meet together. And your personal training times will not start until five. Albus made that explicitly clear that he cannot give you too much freedom. The Aurors will grow suspicious."

"I understand, sir." He gave a short nod before moving towards his desk, flicking his wand so dust was lifted. "What is this word I've received of you and Granger?"

Scarlett swallowed. "She told Cormac I ran into Greyback and enjoyed the run in … loudly. For the whole carriage to hear." Severus's gaze snapped to Scarlett. "And how she didn't think I was someone they should trust."

"And?" Severus demanded, urgently. As if their lives depended on it.

Scarlett chewed on her lip for a minute. "Cormac doesn't believe her. I explained to the people that heard it what really happened." Her lip chewing became almost painful. "I didn't … just duel with Greyback."

"As I'm aware," Severus intoned icily. "The fool Remus had told me as much." Oh.  _Oh._  She sank down on a chair as Severus watched her. "You truly were an idiot that night."

"I know, sir…"

"So… the outcome of this spat?"

"Cormac doesn't believe her. No one close to me believes her. And no one except those close to me know what really happened. I haven't had a chance to speak to Harry. I ran into Cormac first, on accident. And Harry hasn't really left Hermione's side. So… I don't know if he believes her or not. But since the obliviation, I don't really know if there's anything I can tell him. Just that I ran into Greyback, but it wasn't like how Hermione imagines."

"I see. And?"

"I told Hermione I hated her," Scarlett admitted. "And that she was a bitch."

Severus's eyebrow raised. "I see. Well, I'm sure there are truer words, yet I don't think they come to mind." Scarlett bit her lip. "The Dark Lord will not be pleased."

"I know."

"So you have best prepare yourself."

She knew. It seemed the Dark Lord had heard of the spat, she didn't know through which spies. And once she recounted what had happened, the Dark Lord slitted his gaze to Greyback, before looking to her. "And what was this confrontation with Greyback about?"

"The Order expected me to go after Potter," Scarlett stated. "I was by the door discussing the moon cycle with Lupin and Tonks. And I knew that if I didn't go after him, it would suspicious - as if I possibly knew about the attack somehow. I couldn't let them be suspicious of me, my Lord." The Dark Lord gave a nod. "I diverted from the path Potter had taken, hoping that it would be evident that Potter was heading straight, and not me. The Order just needed to see me head into the cornfield. They didn't need to know if I changed path or not. I ran into Mr. Greyback and-" The Dark Lord's lips twitched into amusement at the formal title. "And what happened happened. Of course, Lupin could smell him on me." The amusement immediately dropped. "So I told him that Mr. Greyback had surprised me and grabbed me and I played innocent Scarlett, of course. And they believed it. No one doubted it."

"Good."

"If you'll allow me to continue, my Lord , I was discussing a few days after about how I enjoyed the fight, the dueling. And Granger misheard me, mistaking my words for enjoying the run in with Mr. Greyback… And that is what she told McLaggen." The Dark Lord's lip curled. "I insisted to McLaggen that it wasn't the case. He believes me as well. It seems I have them wrapped around my finger, my Lord."

Her attempt at humor was not appreciated. "Barely. This behavior is unacceptable, Scarlett, my dear. I had hopes that you wouldn't behave brashly." If it was anyone but the Dark Lord, she would have insisted that she had done her best to think levelly and to keep the situation in her control. "Is that the shining of a bruise still on your face?"

Scarlett swallowed. "I had to have Greyback punch me, in hopes that they would believe the act even moreso. A werewolf is much stronger than I, and Greyback is an Alpha. They would believe that he used excessive force."

"Of course," he murmured. "How true." He gave a sigh, as if he regretted it. "But you must be punished."

"Of course, my Lord."

"So compliant. I only wish the rest of you accepted your faults as well as she." Even though it was a compliment, he still instructed her to stand, and she gripped the back of the chair tightly, waiting for the spell. Her father did not look at her, which she was grateful for. Brushing her hair over her shoulder, she took a deep breath, staring at the wall across the room. Only Severus noticed how shaky the breath had become.

"Crucio." The word was spoken casually, almost bored, and Scarlett's body twisted as it collapsed on the ground, and a cry left her lips at the pain. She didn't scream. It didn't hurt enough to scream. But it sure did hurt. The intensity picked up at the second spell and another cry, this one more drawn out and high pitched, left her. Oh, Merlin.

And by the third, she was screaming, her throat going hoarse. And then she was left alone. "Once you are able to join us, Scarlett, my dear, you are welcome to." Scarlett sat on the ground for a moment, catching her breath. The meeting continued above her.

"You should know better, Fenrir, than to attack her when a werewolf can smell you on her from a mile away."

"I will not forget again, my Lord," Greyback said firmly.

Scarlett found her feet after a second, and she shakily pushed back her chair, trying to look as put together as possible. She must have succeeded, because a few Death Eaters were watching her curiously as she sat herself down in the seat, quietly. Her hands were shaking, and she clenched them into fists, before she aimed her gaze to the Dark Lord. She didn't falter as she looked in his direction. Not even when her neck muscles protested and began to burn.

"I'm curious as to how you call him Mr. Greyback."

"He's an Alpha, my Lord. But only werewolves can call him Alpha. That is werewolf etiquette. To be respectful of their power or influence, I suppose you could say, humans are inclined to call them Mister or Mistress, with their last name. And I would be a fool not to admit that Mr. Greyback is notorious throughout Wizarding Britain, and adults still go to bed fearing him from the bedtime stories they were told in their youth." If she was honest with herself, she more of called him that to put a respectful distance between the two of them, so that the Dark Lord wouldn't suspect any personal involvement in their meetings - anything about Cormac or Tyler.

"Interesting. It seems you have a fan, Greyback. Lovely." Scarlett frowned slightly, but took a deep breath as she stared towards the edge of the table in the Dark Lord's direction. "One day you'll have to demonstrate for all of us your friendship." The implication was clear. Put on a show for the Death Eaters. When hell froze over. She stiffened beside Severus, but did not speak. There was no point. Greyback didn't either.

The meeting lasted well into the night, and when it came to be near midnight, they were dismissed, the Dark Lord sweeping from the room. Scarlett rose, and her grip on the chair stopped her from swaying to the floor. Severus took her arm, but she pulled it away from him. "I can do it," she said simply. But in reality, she didn't know if she could. But things weren't as protected as they were before. She couldn't afford to be shown as weak to the others. Because then they would be more inclined to believe the tales of their spies, instead of Severus himself. They walked slowly to the doors, Scarlett limping slightly as a pain went down her side. And when they finally reached the outdoors, he took her arm again. She didn't pull away. And he apparated.

The location was a small hut - the Shrieking Shack. And the fireplace was burning dully, just enough for a floo connection.

He threw the powder in and Scarlett spoke Severus's quarters, before she fell through the grate and out another. Severus was behind her instantly.

"I am sorry," Severus said quietly as he helped her sit. "I could do nothing."

"I know. It's okay." He merely nodded, and she happily took the tonic he gave her.

"This will help the tremors, but I'm afraid I can't do much. Are you able to make it to your dorm?"

Scarlett glanced at the time. They had near fifteen minutes until her curfew. "I should be fine. Hopefully, sir." She drank the tonic before setting the empty bottle down. "Do you think he believed me?"

"Undoubtedly." It was enough. "He thinks that Dumbledore is spying on our interactions."

"And?"

"That is how Tyler was not in the location when he looked." Oh. Right. "But he felt that this was more pressing to punish you for. He will not make known his failures, nor mine, until it benefits him. But having you be betrayed in trust in him is something he does not want. So, he will act small, punish you here and there for things of import, but he will not risk losing your loyalty. He know that it is frail, giving the situation you came from."

"So he's … protecting me?"

"No, he's biding his time." Oh. Well, that wasn't good. Not at all. "When he feels that he no longer needs your loyalty, you become disposal, then he will act." She swallowed. "But that won't be for some time." Right. Hopefully. "You had best return to your dorm. And Scarlett?" She glanced back from the door. "Do not tell anyone about Greyback. No one else."

"I understand, sir."

He nodded simply and she was gone. She didn't run into any Aurors, which made her question if they were even there in the first place. But when she entered her dorm, she was surprised to see Cormac there, and Ron. And Neville and Seamus. And Ginny. Merlin. Cormac immediately stood at seeing her and hugged her tightly. "Merlin, we thought you had been killed or something."

"I'm fine," Scarlett insisted. Weakly, she pushed Cormac away from her. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Worried. You didn't come back after dinner. It's been like five hours."

"Yes, well… someone wasn't quite happy about Hermione."

"How did he hear about that?"

"There are spies everywhere," Scarlett said quietly. "I've stopped questioning how he gets information, and instead act how he wants in public." Cormac took her hand suddenly, frowning.

"You're shaking."

"It's nothing," Scarlett insisted, pulling her hand away, but he tightened his grip. She sighed quietly. "Three Cruciatus. But I'm fine. Severus gave me a tonic."

"Three Cruciatus?" Ginny and Ron gasped. Scarlett could really see how they were related. "Just because of what Hermione said?"

She lowered her gaze, nodding. "Until I screamed."

"Bloody hell, and you didn't scream the first one?"

She shrugged. "After a while, they don't really feel like Cruciatus." Cormac was frowning though, and then he looked really looked angry. "I'm fine," she insisted, more firmly this time. "I swear."

"How did you make it past the Aurors?"

"Dumbledore told them that I have Saturday night potions lessons. And every weekday, I'm allowed out until ten because of my Vector apprenticeship."

"What did he say about Greyback?" Seamus asked. "Did he punish Greyback too?"

"If anything, the Dark Lord is sexist," Scarlett admitted. "No. He didn't. In fact, he suggested that maybe Greyback and I should put on a show one night." Scarlett clenched her jaw, and let out a sigh. "I think I need to go to bed."

There was a shuffle on the steps, and Scarlett glanced to it sharply, her breath catching in her throat. But Ginny was already off, to catch whoever it was. There was a brief scuffle, and then Hermione appeared, being dragged by Ginny's hand. Scarlett stiffened and felt tears in her eyes. Wonderful.

"I suppose this is going to be all over the school tomorrow?" Scarlett demanded.

"Uh… Lettie, hold on." A muffliato was cast.

"I didn't know that you'd get in trouble."

"What did you think would happen?" Scarlett questioned fiercely. "Did you think I'd just get a slap on the wrist? You almost blew my entire reason for being at Hogwarts. The only reason he even thought about letting me come here was because of the opportunity I gave him to get information. He can't use Pansy or Astoria or anyone like that. I'm the only Gryffindor, and the only woman he has access to that doesn't have strict Pureblood rules to follow." Hermione winced. "How did you think any of this would have been okay?"

"I… I didn't trust you. It's far too convenient that you show up out of the blue and suddenly you're getting apprenticeships, secret trainings? You're friends with the most notorious werewolf in the world." Scarlett frowned. "You don't find that suspicious, and maybe everyone else is blind, but I find it a bit out of the ordinary. Did you even know how to read, or did you fake it to win our favor?"

"I knew how to read letters," Scarlett admitted. "Narcissa taught me when I was five. But I had no idea how to put them together to make words." She stared at Hermione. "What did I do to you?"

Hermione looked pained. "I don't trust you. How do I know what you're telling us is the truth? How do I know you aren't telling us lies, like you claim to tell Him?"

Scarlett didn't know. And she said as such. "But… you could put some faith in me. If I meant you harm, believe me, I don't think I would hesitate for you anymore."

"Have you killed anyone or have you lied to the Order about that too?"

Scarlett dropped her gaze. "No. The only death I've caused is Rita Skeeters, but I definitely did not raise my wand to her. I was only forced to watch."

Hermione shook her head. "You don't hear yourself, do you? You don't act like the Scarlett you were when you first came to us. You're fierce and mean. And you don't care who gets hurt. As long as you get what you want."

"I never took anything from you," Scarlett insisted. "I never wanted any of this. I was content to live the rest of my short life in the Manor, until someone came across me and got too rough and killed me. I knew that would be how I ended. Truly, I never dreamed of Hogwarts. I never dreamed of real friends. A boyfriend. Or anything. The only thing I ever wanted was my son. And that's all I still want. Yes, the other things are fantastic, and I love my life here, but if I could go back, I would. Because then I'd be a week away from seeing my son and living a happy, quiet life with him, like was planned." Hermione winced. "But instead, I'm here. I'm fighting every single minute to keep it together, because if I can't - if my Occulmens falter, if anything happens, the Order is finished. My son is dead. Everyone that has worked in the Order's favor, or that has worked with me to help deceive the Dark Lord, will be killed. And it won't be a quick end." Hermione winced yet again. "I think about it every night before I go to bed. Why do I keep doing this? Why do I put myself in situations where I'm tortured every week so that we have an advantage? If I wasn't here, I have no doubt that the Order would do just fine. That Harry would be fine. But that world doesn't exist anymore. I am forcefully involved now. And I wonder what would happen if I went to Tyler, grabbed him, and ran? But you know what? I would be dead in months, at most. He won't let me go. He never will."

"So get the Order to protect you."

"I think about dropping everything and leaving in the middle of the night," Scarlett admitted quietly. "I think about abandoning all of you so that I can selfishly live the last few months of my life with my son. But I can't. Not only will I die a very public and painful death, but so will my son. So will everyone I've come to care for and love. And maybe that means nothing to you, but it means everything to me. That's why I'm here, because I know no matter how much protection, how well I erase my tracks, he will find me." Hermione looked a little ill. "So I do whatever he tells me, I do whatever I'm instructed, because if I don't, everything will fall."

"Lettie-"

"I'm not done," Scarlett stated. Cormac fell silent, but his hand didn't stop holding hers. "I act different, because I have to. I can't be who I was. I won't survive any of this if I was. Maybe I was quiet before, never looked anyone in the eye. But I've changed. I have to. I go to meetings, I look the Dark Lord in the eyes, and I lie about everything. I tell him I'm learning all about the Order's plots, I tell him all about what everyone does with their day. I tell him all about what you guys have for dinner or breakfast. I tell him if the Order gets an opportunity to be attacked. I tell him everything he wants to hear, whether it's true or not. And he eats it like it's candy. I call Mad-Eye a fool, because he's blinded by revenge. And sometimes he reminds me of Harry. I protect those I care about. But I can't when they're being  _stupid_."

"I'm not the only one who thinks it. Your behavior is suspicious. People feel like you're becoming someone you're not."

They did? Scarlett glanced to Cormac for confirmation. "They think you're becoming bold, and growing out of the shyness that you got from the Manor. I mean, the people I speak to think you're growing into your own person." Scarlett glanced to Hermione.

"Who told you I was someone I wasn't?"

Hermione hesitated. "I… I don't know. I mean, just the way they say that you're different-"

Scarlett swallowed. Oh. "I don't think you get, Granger, how different she has to be. If you saw what she had to be there, you'd understand that … she's a lot different than she was before."

Hermione glanced to him, before looking back to Scarlett. "I didn't know that you were going to tell him. I don't know anything about you or what you do. I barely even see you, you're so busy."

Scarlett swallowed. "Yes, well… I'm busy. I've got so much to do this semester, and a so much stricter work schedule to do them in. I'm sorry you can't trust me, but that doesn't change what you could have done. I almost lost everything because you're careless. And you reacted brashly. Like a Gryffindor." And somehow, that was far more of an insult than anything. Hermione reared back as if she had been slapped and Scarlett took a calming breath. "I'm going to bed before my tremors come back." She glanced to the few Gryffindors in the Common Room. "Goodnight."

"Night."

She turned back to Hermione, and her gaze was dark and very much the persona she had to put on for the Death Eaters. "If you so much as breathe a word of what you've heard tonight, I will not hesitate to frame you for something you really wouldn't want to be framed for." And Hermione swallowed, taking the threat seriously. "A life in Azkaban would be very hard for someone like you."

"What could you possibly frame me for?"

"Someone is trying to kill the Headmaster, and the Order is under the impression that it could be anyone from a Death Eater to a lone agent. What you heard tonight can cost me my life, and my son's life. And possibly Professor Snape's life. And to protect them, I won't hesitate to ruin yours. I can only afford to give a second chance once."

"Bloody hell, McLaggen, she's hot when she's scary."

Cormac snorted. "Tell me about it."

"I understand," Hermione said stiffly.

"Good," Scarlett said simply, and she gave a smile to the Gryffindors. "Right, that's my cue. Goodnight. And I'll see you at breakfast. I'm so excited it's a Sunday, you won't believe."

"Trainings tomorrow?" Cormac asked, looking expectant. They did have a lot to talk about.

Scarlett gave him a warm smile. "If you're up for it. I'll be there from seven to noon, at least. Then the Grey Lady, of course. But I'll see you, if you show up."

Cormac nodded and he kissed her temple, making her feel warm. And then she was gone. As she climbed the stairs, she could hear Cormac speaking. "She means it, Granger. One word, and I'll make sure you won't ever be hired at the Ministry."

"You trust her so blindly."

"I've seen what she does there. I know every detail of their meetings," Cormac said stiffly. "She does a lot for us. More than you'll know. More than she wants anyone to know."

"And Greyback? You're okay with that?"

"He keeps her safe. It's more than I can do for her there."

Hermione didn't come up to the dorm until Scarlett was nearly asleep. The silencing charms around her bed only blocked noise from leaving, but she could still hear the footsteps well enough as they moved to Hermione's bed. And there was a pause before she sank down on the bed. Scarlett shut her eyes, doing her best to keep her fingers from twitching, as she tried to sleep as well.

It was difficult. And she found that when she did sleep, the fire and blood of her nightmares assaulted her, making her wake much earlier than she should have. So she lay and finished her vampire tale, before she started another piece of Muggle literature. She found them to be excellent distractions.

When her wand indicated that it was five in the morning, the end of curfew, she pulled herself out of bed and grabbed her clothes for the day, before she grabbed her training clothing. She would be back later, so she didn't really need to grab anything for Madam Pomfrey now. The Room of Requirement was a welcomed sight. But the room it chose was no longer the cellar. Instead, it was a very ornate dining hall, with white marble floors and black garnished walls.

The Malfoy Formal Dining Hall. Where meetings took place. She stared around the room, her hands running against the marble of the ornate table, before she reached the Dark Lord's chair. Once it had been Lucius's. Once it had been a room he had been dominant over. Now… well, now that was no longer the case.

She took a deep breath, and the table melted away until it was a row of training dummies. And the dueling began. Severus had been the one to suggest multiple attackers in her training sessions. He felt as though it would best prepare her for any battle she would be subjected to. So, she took his advice seriously. As she always did.

When Cormac arrived, likely just after breakfast, she was exhausted and sweaty, and had many bruises from the harmless jinxes that the dummies would shoot her way. Cormac took in the room with a raised eyebrow before he set his bag down.

"Well, this is different."

"I like to try new things," she said wryly. She wiped at her forehead and then managed to wipe down her arms and chest. She hadn't worked that hard in weeks. "How was breakfast?"

"Full of gossip. Everyone's still recounting the tale of seeing you in tears on the train and how either I broke your heart or Hermione said something to you. Hermione's brooding. Harry's angry. And everyone else is trying to get what you told them through their heads. Must be difficult for some of their brains."

Scarlett giggled. "You're still trying to process it and it's been months." Cormac shot her a playful glare. But Scarlett paused slightly as she charmed the dummies still. "I never got a chance to thank you, for my Christmas presents. They're fantastic. The Muggle anatomy books are brilliant! And I'm almost done with all the novels, but they're so fascinating. I keep wanting to read them over and over again!"

Cormac grinned. "I'm glad you liked them."

"You do look like you've gained a few pounds. How were the chocolate frogs?"

"Not as brilliant as the tickets!" Cormac moved towards her and didn't seem to care that she was glistening with sweat. He kissed her deeply and, even if Scarlett didn't have the weakened muscles from the tremors, she was sure that she would have collapsed regardless at the heat he put into it. Merlin. He caught her, his arms around her waist. "How on earth did you get those tickets?"

"Wrote them."

He laughed. "You are bloody amazing."

"You like Quidditch."

"And I bloody love you." She blinked in surprise, and he kissed her again, as if showing his appreciation. He loved her? He pulled away, seeming to notice her quiet. "Scarlett?"

"You love me?" she asked quietly.

He hesitated. "Bloody hell… I didn't mean to scare you or pressure you or anything." She frowned. "Er… I do mean it though. But you don't need to say anything-"

"I do really like you and care for you," Scarlett admitted. "But I don't know what love is. I don't know for certain if what I feel for you is love yet… and I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," Cormac insisted. "I was the idiot that said it too soon. Don't worry about it."

She stared at him a minute, unsure. What she felt for Cormac was dangerous, she knew that much. "It's not safe," she said quietly. "None of this is. I shouldn't be… I'm not supposed to be emotionally attached. I'm so scared that he'll find out… At the ball, that man I danced with, Thomas… he said he could tell that we loved each other very much. And if that stranger, that man that I have never seen before in my life, can see it, then… who else can?"

He cursed under his breath. "I hate that the Dark Lord tries to ruin everything happy you try to have."

"But it's true, Cormac. I'm so scared that if I let myself feel what I want to feel for you, that… that everyone's going to know the truth. And … and I can't let that happen. I can't let them know how much you mean to me, because that would put you in danger and that would mean that … that they can make me do things and… I don't want you to get hurt."

"I can take them," he said with a charming smile.

But Scarlett shook her head, her gaze dropping. "No, Cormac. You can't. I can't. No one can. The Dark Lord has infinite resources. He can make so many people pay for something I've done by mistake. And I wish I could show you every day how much I appreciate everything you do, but there are so many people watching us constantly, that I don't even know who to trust outside of those in the Common Room last night."

Cormac seemed incredibly sad by her news. And she hated that she had been the cause of it. "I know. And I told you, you don't have to say anything. Every day you go there and you lie to him, or you and I train, or we work on memories together, or we make memories… I know how much you care for me." He gave a haughty wink that made her giggle a bit. "You don't have to do anything that will damage anything you've built so far. I won't make you do that. And I don't care, because I know, right now, in private, how much you care."

She felt tears swimming in her eyes. "Thank you." And she kissed him softly. "I really, really mean it, thank you."

He just gave her a grin. "But I will still tell you every time I get the chance to. I do love you."

She felt her heart soar. "I know."

And his grin just seemed to get wider. "Good. Now, whose butt are we kicking today?"

She glanced around the room. "I think the Dark Lord sounds good."

"Right then, one Dark Lord on a platter, coming right up." She giggled, loving how he lightened the mood, and kissed him once more, before she flicked the dummies back to life. "What room is this by the way?"

"The Malfoy's formal dining. The Meeting room."

"No wonder he chose it. It's so bleak." She couldn't help but agree. "Was it ever nicer?"

"It's so rarely used. No. Not really." He just seemed to take in the room before a stinging hex made him jerk to life. Right. Dueling.

They dueled well together, as a team, fighting the group of dummies, instead of against each other. They kept their backs to each other and managed to defeat all of the dummies with ease. Once the dust settled, Scarlett felt her breath finally, in pants. And she let the room change once more so that the dining room table was standing there and all twenty chairs.

"The table adds character."

"There are candles and things sometimes, but I didn't feel like adding that," Scarlett admitted. She leaned against the table and glanced back to Cormac. "Are you hungry?"

"A tad. It's probably lunch time." Likely. A quick tempus told her that it was. And she glanced towards Cormac. "Want to head down?"

"Sure. I just should probably take a shower first." He seemed to agree for himself as well. Biting her lip, Scarlett found herself speaking. "I've been having the worst nightmares."

He paused, his body still turned partially away from her, but he glanced to her. "Nightmares?"

"They're… there's fire and Tyler is there. He's found. My father's been discovered and… Severus said I needed to tell someone… should they get worse, in case-"

"I'd know," Cormac finished quietly. "When did they start?"

"After the Burrow attack," Scarlett admitted. "So the better part of a week now. I hadn't slept at all that night, and when I finally did sleep… it felt so real."

"They aren't. You know they aren't," Cormac admitted quietly.

"I know, but... I'm worried they'll get worse. I already don't sleep much. The last thing I need is more to keep me up at night." He seemed to agree, and he stared at her worriedly, as if she was having a nightmare at that very moment.

"If they get worse, tell me." She nodded immediately. She would. Or at least, she hoped she would. It depended on what was going on at that time. "I mean it, Lettie."

"I will," she said quietly. "But I'm starving. Let's get some lunch."

"Shower, then lunch."

"Same thing."

"Well, if you're going to walk into the Great Hall naked and humming under your breath, please let me know at least three days beforehand," Cormac grinned. She laughed, smacking his shoulder as she pushed off of the table, grabbing her few things and moving towards the door, as the room changed. And they were in a shower room, two opposite sides and frosted glass walls so that they wouldn't see each other. "I figure this would be more inconspicuous than going to the public showers and people seeing us sweaty together."

"It certainly would help your little lies."

Scarlett shot him a grin. "Maybe." And she ducked into a side she designated as hers, seeing that the water was hot, steaming as it streamed out of many faucets. Definitely elaborate. She was certain this is what it looked like in the Master suite at the Manor. As she began to strip, she could hear Cormac speaking from his end.

"This is nice! Any chance they could combine into one?"

A mirror showed Scarlett the scars littering her back and she swallowed, forcing the nervousness from her voice as she answered back in an equally as teasing tone. "Wouldn't that be nice?" He would never see her back. She would make sure of that. She would make him promise. Because she knew how he would react. With a form of pity and shame, as he would look at them. As if he was living every moment she had received them. No, she did not want him to see them. And she didn't know how possible it was.

Even Greyback had seen them, and he had added more to them.

But the scars on her back carried questions, pain that she longed to keep behind her.

So she washed quickly, before dressing in the clean clothes she had brought and a quick drying charm cleaned her hair for her. She exited her shoulder, still hearing the water running on Cormac's end. "You know," she spoke, knowing he could hear. "I feel as though training as a team works much better than against one another."

"We certainly killed the dummies a lot faster."

She giggled. "Well, that was mostly due to the fact that you 'didn't like the way it looked at me.'" She could hear Cormac chuckle. "Jealous of a dummy?"

"With good reason. Who knows who you'll decide is worth your time, when you're done with me," Cormac laughed. Scarlett felt herself giggle, a smile warming her face. "My money's on Longbottom, but there's always Finnegan, I suppose."

"Seamus?" She considered it, purely for his amusement. "Well, he does constantly tell me that I'm hot or sexy. I wouldn't mind keeping that compliment around often. And he's not too bad on the eyes, I suppose. He's got a lovely personality."

"Oi, I'm standing right here."

"And Neville," Scarlett continued with a grin. "Well, he's very kind and not too bold. I don't think I'd mind that either. A nice, quiet life. A good change of pace from this one, I feel."

Cormac's head appeared from the other side of the glass, and it was soapy, but he was glaring at her. "I get it. It's not funny anymore."

"Oh, but you mustn't forget Dean. He draws, you know," Scarlett grinned in his direction.

"Fine! I regret speaking about it. Forget it."

Scarlett giggled. "You started it."

"I have a lot of reason to be jealous," Cormac stated in a huffy breath, disappearing into the shower again. "Look at the blokes you've just named."

"But none of them train with me every morning they can remember to wake up early, or even think about staying up waiting for me to get back from a meeting."

"They were pretty worried about you once they learned you go every Saturday. Erm, sort of asked to wait, and I told them I always wait in the Common Room. Ron looked a little green, Ginny pink, and the others were a lovely hue of all the other colors of the rainbow." Scarlett giggled. "They're worried."

"Everything's fine," Scarlett insisted. "I got off light compared to what I thought he was going to do to me."

"Would he really? Make you… put on a show with Greyback?" She could tell that was what had bothered him most about the recount of the meeting.

"I don't know." Scarlett said honestly. "I hope not. But the Dark Lord is fond of making his followers do humiliating things to put them in their places. He'll likely consider it if I get too bold in the future."

"Don't get too bold."

"I know. I won't." She knew getting too bold would be foolish. It was confidence in her position, arrogance. And it was a sure sign of a traitor. Getting bold was a death sentence. The water in Cormac's showers turned off and suddenly he appeared after a minute of dressing, in his plain clothes. "Do I look presentable?" she asked.

He sighed as he looked her over. "I prefer your training clothes. They leave little to the imagination." And she rolled her eyes. "And I?"

"Rather ordinary," Scarlett said dryly. "I'm starving. Can we eat, please?"

Cormac sighed, grabbing his bag with the dirty clothing in it, before throwing an arm around her shoulder. They moved towards the doors. "I suppose. You're rather impatient today."

"I'm just trying to get things along. I made a strict schedule to ensure I can spend the most amount of time on not only my studies, but also with you. And that includes spending as much time as possible at lunch so that you and I can have a few more minutes before I go to the Grey Lady."

Cormac paused at the door, and his lips took hers into a kiss. "So much planning. I hope it works."

"Me too."

Lunch was just as boisterous as dinner had been. Whispers, people glancing around at the Gryffindors, and there were plates being passed around as people tried to get delicacies that were only offered further down the table. Her own plate remained full of whatever was closest to her, and she happily scarfed it down, keeping in conversation with not only Cormac and Julien, but also Neville, Seamus, and Dean. Ginny snuck herself in halfway through and they began discussing the latest news in the Wizarding World.

"You saw the article, didn't you?" Dean questioned Scarlett.

"Er, no. I'm sure it got to the Burrow, but it sort of burnt down."

Dean winced. "Right, well, they ran an editorial on the Minister's Ball."

"Oh?" Julien's voice sounded. "I remember that. Pretty nice pictures."

"A five page spread, to be specific." Scarlett felt her eyes widen in surprise as Dean continued. "Don't worry, you lot were in it. You were definitely someone the reporters took an interest in. What with Scarlett being unable to stay out of the papers for long and all."

"I was in the paper?" Scarlett whispered, surprised. "What did it say?"

"Just your name, the amount of time it's speculated that you began dating, what dress you're wearing, and how you guys looked together." Dean shot them a grin. "You won the public vote for best debut couple. You were very close to second-place Fitzherbert and Jessica Lewis." The names meant nothing to Scarlett.

"We won best debut couple? I didn't even know there was an award," Scarlett admitted, confused.

"It's a gossip column," Cormac sighed. "They send all the pictures out into a poll and people write back the Prophet with who they think won which category. It's all garbage, really, and doesn't mean much. Just people voting to seem like they're involved."

"Now that sounded incredibly pessimistic," Scarlett giggled. "I think you're turning into my father." She glanced towards Seamus as he spoke.

"But you were bloody gorgeous, I'll tell you," Seamus insisted. "Mam voted for you three times, one for each of us. She was fawning over your dress. She wouldn't shut up about it all Christmas."

Julien snorted. "Bloke, I think it's best you don't compliment her right in front of him."

"It's okay, we had a very amusing discussion about compliments this morning," Scarlett said with a quick grin towards Cormac. "He's jealous of anything that moves, apparently."

"I told you, Lettie, it was looking at you funny."

"They're inanimate dummies, Cormac. They can't look at me any way." Scarlett bit her lip as she glanced back to her friends. "What else happened in the paper? I'm afraid I haven't had time to read it."

"A few attacks," Neville said quietly. "Small ones, no real permanent damage done." She frowned. "No one died, either, which is good. It just looks like Death Eaters want to make people scared."

"What else would they want?" Ginny questioned. "It all sounds like they're just doing things for kicks now. Trying to change the world, my arse. More like trying to destroy it."

"Which is exactly why we're trying to save it," Neville returned. Ginny glanced to him in surprise, and Neville flushed. "That is the whole point of the Order, isn't it?"

It was. Her eyes swept further down the table as Cormac's hand gripped hers under the table. Hermione was moody, stabbing at her fork as Ron and Harry were in a discussion, bent close together so no one could hear them. It looked as though they were arguing. A book was open beside Hermione, and she was researching something. Or reading for her classes.

Either way, she looked… normal. Scarlett glanced back to Cormac. "I have a Latin lesson. I'll see you later, before my healing course."

Cormac gave her a small kiss on the knuckles, and she gave a small smile before she said goodbye to everyone else, and darted out of the hall to the Grey Lady's tower. Her Latin lessons were always extensive, but the Grey Lady disguised them as a simple conversation. They discussed her days as the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helena's love for the Bloody Baron. She quietly settled in the stone passageway and continued the conversation almost easily, and when she stumbled, Helena would easily prompt Scarlett with the word she was seeking.

"What is it you're looking for?" Helena said suddenly. "Peace? Love? Safety?"

"All of it," Scarlett admitted. "I'm looking for something to save those I care for, peace in the war, love to last me a lifetime." She took a deep breath. "It's hard to do, I've discovered. To look for something that can't be found."

"It will be found, with time," Helena said quietly. "I have found everything I have wanted. Peace, love. Safety. And though I may be dead, it does not mean that I do not grow."

Scarlett swallowed. "How is it? To live for a thousand years but to never leave?"

"Somedays are better than others," Helena admitted. "Somedays, there are people that insult me and everything my mother and I stood for. Other days, there are people that bring me pride." Scarlett smiled gently. "You must not despair, young one. For I have seen many wars. And there are none that do not have people that persevere."

The clock chiming near two in the afternoon caused Scarlett to gasp suddenly. "Oh, I'm sorry I've taken up so much of your time-"

"Nonsense. I have no other way to spend my days." She gave Scarlett a kind smile. "But you should return to your love. He waits for you."

Cormac and her had much to talk about, Scarlett felt like. Everything in more detail - what had happened once she arrived at the Burrow, the Order, everything. But she had a ridiculous schedule now. Her classes, the apprenticeships. They hadn't even begun and already she felt like she had bitten off more than she could chew.

She would get less time with Cormac, which would mean less time to make perfect memories. "I'll see you next Sunday, then? Same time?"

"If you do not become too busy with your things, of course," Helena said serenely. "Farewell."

"Until next time," Scarlett agreed. Grabbing her bag, she gave the ghost a final smile, but the girl was gone, disappearing to do whatever she needed to do. Scarlett headed to the dormitory, finding all of her friends scattered about doing different things. Seamus and Dean were in a battle of chess. Neville and Ginny were watching, betting, it seemed. Harry and Ron were arguing, and Hermione was reading, just a few feet from them. But it was Cormac that caught her attention. He was sitting in their alcove, and gave a soft smile as he saw her. Smiling herself, she tossed the bag at the floor in front of the alcove, and then climbed up, giving him a grin.

"How was the Grey Lady?"

"She's gone through far more than I have, and she's alright," Scarlett joked. "So, she gave me a lot of hope."

"Bloody hell," he snorted. "That's not funny. She's also dead."

Scarlett sighed, and felt his arms go around her as they sat close together. She could smell his cologne, and a Christmas-y scent. Cinnamon. "Did you have that cinnamon bun for lunch?"

"Couldn't resist," he admitted. "Needed something sweet."

She giggled. "I've had my fair share of sugar these last few weeks. Merlin, I'm still working through the first bag, I hope you know."

"Well, after you forced me to eat an entire jar of frogs in a week-"

"I didn't force you!" Scarlett protested in a fit of giggles.

"Oh, right. I forced myself." Scarlett rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe you got World Cup tickets."

"All it took was writing the team. It wasn't anything spectacular."

"Still!" Cormac's mouth kissed her hair. "They're bloody awesome."

"I didn't have enough time to get through the box of books you got me. There were so many fascinating stories, and it blew my mind that Muggles could create worlds so similar to our own, yet they have no idea ours even exists." Scarlett turned slightly in the cramped alcove, so she could see him better. "How did you manage to be left alone? When I came in, nearly everyone was giving me a look."

"And by everyone you mean Hermione." Scarlett flushed slightly. "She gave me a look. A look of curiosity that creeped me out. And then when I glared at her, she seemed to realize she was looking at me." Scarlett's gaze, however, flitted to the bushy brunette and her study companion. Harry was whispering under his breath to her, his head bent as if to give them privacy. As if to tell secrets. "He's taking her side, isn't he?"

"To be fair, he doesn't remember anything of these last few months." No… Scarlett supposed Harry didn't. But it still hurt, none-the-less. Scarlett had grown close with her brother in the little time they had spent together. "It's safer, you said it yourself."

With Harry's mind link, anything Harry knew was in jeopardy. It was safer. She just needed to remind herself of it constantly. And she wasn't sure if she was always right.

When she went to Madame Pomfrey that evening before dinner, Scarlett was surprised to be immediately shooed out of the vicinity. "No, no, no, my dear. I'm not taking any more of your weekends. We've caught ourselves quite spectacularly in last term, and I think limiting our time to just the weeks will have us finish everything by summer."

Scarlett had tried to protest, but the woman was adament. And that meant that Scarlett had freetime, something she rarely had.

So she put it towards homework, preparing for her next meeting with Professor Vector, or creating memories for the Dark Lord. She never truly took a break, but at least she hadn't felt entirely pressed for time.

Her meetings were relentless with the Dark Lord. He pulled apart every memory in her head, making her pray she had been as diligent in creating the memories as Severus had taught her to be. When the Dark Lord would pull out of her head, he'd give her a pleased smirk, but her information either wasn't adequate enough for him, despite her telling him everything he could possibly need to know, and she was punished.

Severus had told her that it was likely residual anger from not being able to find Tyler. And Scarlett had the fleeting, terrifying thought that perhaps the Dark Lord knew that her memories were false. That he could have spotted some form of repetition in the memories, or unusual actions or words or pitches. But every meeting, her nerves were shot every time he seemed to find it acceptable what he saw.

And he was fooled.

The welcome party when she got back to Gryffindor Common Room was always the same. Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean were seated around a chess board. Ginny was sitting nervously with Parvati. And Cormac seemed to know when she'd return because he was already on his feet by the time she went through the portrait hole. But tonight, her steps were slightly uneven and her hands shook worse than they had ever before. And as soon as she saw Cormac, she said nothing but wrapped her arms around his middle, burying her face in his chest. And held him.

Cormac seemed to ground her after a meeting in a way being back to Hogwarts couldn't. He stayed strong no matter what. He was there for her no matter what – even when they barely knew one another.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Nothing different," she murmured quietly into his chest. "I just have a killer headache and feel like I'm standing at the top of the tower with no broom in my hand."

"You don't even know how to fly."

"Precisely." His cheek pressed against hers, and he took a deep breath, his face buried in her hair. And his arms held her back tightly, one rubbing up and down.

"It'll be okay. The war will be over soon. And you'll never have to go to him again."

They both knew it was a lie. "He was so angry," she said softly after he held her for a few minutes. "He was so angry with me for not mending the riff with Harry, but … I'm trying. He just is always around Hermione, and I can't talk to him alone."

"He doesn't remember that you're related. He just knows that you were taken in by the Order." Scarlett knew, but it was such a drastic change. And she didn't know how to mend anything with him. "It'll just take some more time."

"I don't know if I can wait any longer. It's getting worse and worse, the less progress I make." He kissed her cheek and Scarlett's words faltered as she glanced up at him. "I can't keep getting hurt. It's so selfish, but I don't think I could bear it. The Dark Lord is far more diligent than life at the Manor ever was. At the Manor, everything was fleeting. I knew when something was coming. But now… I can't guess what he does. It's always different. And it's so…  _painful._ "

"It's not selfish to want to spare yourself from pain," Cormac said quietly. He pulled away from her and she was able to see the the full expression of his face. Sad. She hated making him sad. "We'll figure something out with Harry."

Ginny was hovering a few feet away, nervously, and she pipped up. "I could talk to Harry, if you want. Try to help somehow… get him to talk to you."

Scarlett gave her a weak smile. "Thank you, Ginny. I just… I don't know what good that would do. He doesn't trust Severus, nor does he trust Draco and Blaise, and I'm friends with both of them. Without him understanding everything, I don't think that's very possible. Harry's incredibly stubborn."

"Come on, you should get to bed. Your hands are shaking," Cormac urged quietly. Scarlett glanced to them, as if she had forgotten. But she nodded. "Tell me about the meeting tomorrow. But you deserve to sleep in." Some sleep sounded good. "Breakfast first, then we can train." Scarlett didn't even hesitate to nod.

"Thank you for waiting up, you guys. You really didn't have to," Scarlett spoke softly, making sure the boys playing chess could hear her. They had stopped when she returned, but gave her a small smile. "I keep telling you that, but you don't seem to want to be anywhere but waiting for me. I appreciate it."

"We stick with you until the end," Ron shrugged. "You'd do it for any of us."

Neville flushed as if warm. "Yeah, we'll fight to the end with you, Scarlett. Even if it means taking every last Death Eater down." Scarlett gave them all a warm smile, but dropped her gaze.

"Hopefully, it won't come to that." And with one last smile, Scarlett gave Cormac a silent hug before she climbed the steps to her dorm. Hermione's curtains were pulled tightly shut and Scarlett stared at them for a minute, wondering if the girl was sleeping, before she slid onto her bed, shutting her own curtains, and curling up beside Leo on the covers. And then she slept.


End file.
